In January of 2002, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, which penalizes or rewards schools based on students’ performance on standardized tests. Nearly seven years later the questions surrounding this controversial legislation are as pressing as ever. Does No Child Left Behind make the grade?
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) have “long championed the principles underlying the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA): high standards for all children, with appropriate tests to measure whether the standards are being met; disaggregation of student achievement data; ‘highly qualified’ teachers and well-trained paraprofessionals in every classroom; and extra support for students and schools performing below proficient levels.” (www.aft.org/topics/NCLB)
A survey of AFT members found that almost two out of three teachers (64 percent) felt the current law has had a negative effect on public education. Teachers are also troubled by test-prep activities that do little to increase knowledge and skills, a narrowing of the curriculum under NCLB, and an excessive focus on the so-called bubble students (those falling just short of passing state accountability tests) while other students are being shortchanged.
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