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Understanding the No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act affects every teacher, students, and parent, attending public school in the U.S. Find out more about it and how it affects you..
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the key law governing K-12 education in the United States. NCLB was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002.
NCLB introduced sweeping changes that have affected every public school in the United States. It expanded major reforms in the following areas:
NCLB introduced sweeping changes that have affected every public school in the United States. It expanded major reforms in the following areas:
- State academic standards
- Assessment
- Accountability
- Student improvement
Title I, the largest program in NCLB, allocates federal financial support to local education agencies (LEAs), primarily school districts, to address the needs of educationally disadvantaged children. Because most school districts across the country rely on Title I money, all 50 states have entered into NCLB agreements with the United States Department of Education and are diligently working to meet the primary goals of NCLB.
Primary Goals of the No Child Left Behind Act
- All students will attain proficiency in reading/language arts and mathematics by 2013-2014.
- All English learners will become proficient in English.
- All students will learn in schools that are safe and drug free.
- All students will graduate from high school.
To meet these goals, state education agencies work with LEAs to develop state standards, align curriculum to the standards, and develop fair assessment measures of student achievement.
Actions Required by NCLB
Actions Required by NCLB
The United States Department of Education has identified several key requirements designed to ensure that the goals of the law are met. These include:
- Annual Testing
- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
- State Report Cards
- School Choice
- Highly Qualified Teachers
Annual Testing
NCLB requires states to annually report student progress on tests that measure achievement of state learning standards. Under NCLB, each state retains the right to decide what their students should learn in each grade and how these standards should be assessed. For example, some states, such as Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas, have standards and proficiency tests for all courses in the four primary content areas of math, science, history, and English; whereas, other states currently only test proficiency levels for high school reading and math.
Regardless of the design, annual statewide assessments must be aligned with the curriculum to meet the following goals:
NCLB requires states to annually report student progress on tests that measure achievement of state learning standards. Under NCLB, each state retains the right to decide what their students should learn in each grade and how these standards should be assessed. For example, some states, such as Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas, have standards and proficiency tests for all courses in the four primary content areas of math, science, history, and English; whereas, other states currently only test proficiency levels for high school reading and math.
Regardless of the design, annual statewide assessments must be aligned with the curriculum to meet the following goals:
- provide an external, independent measure of learning
- reveal early in a student's academic career the need for extra help
Adequate Yearly Progress
NCLB mandates that by end of the year 2013-2014 all students perform proficiently on tests assessing academic standards in reading/language arts and math. Because most states cannot currently meet this requirement, NCLB requires each state to demonstrate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward that goal.
In 2003 each state began reporting AYP by setting a starting point based on the performance of its lowest-achieving demographic group or of the lowest-achieving schools in the state, whichever was higher. The state then set the level of student achievement that schools must attain to reach AYP. Subsequent thresholds will increase every three years, until the point at which all students in the state are testing at the proficient level on state assessments.
Local education agencies and/or schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years are identified as needing improvement and are subject to immediate interventions. This process begins with technical assistance and involves more serious corrective actions if the school continues not to make AYP.
Schools that meet or exceed AYP objectives or close achievement gaps will be eligible for State Academic Achievement Awards.
State Report Cards
NCLB mandates that the annual testing results of local education agencies be reported in annual State Report Cards. These report cards must disclose results of testing for each subject tested and for all students combined. They also must break down the results by various student populations, including:
NCLB mandates that by end of the year 2013-2014 all students perform proficiently on tests assessing academic standards in reading/language arts and math. Because most states cannot currently meet this requirement, NCLB requires each state to demonstrate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward that goal.
In 2003 each state began reporting AYP by setting a starting point based on the performance of its lowest-achieving demographic group or of the lowest-achieving schools in the state, whichever was higher. The state then set the level of student achievement that schools must attain to reach AYP. Subsequent thresholds will increase every three years, until the point at which all students in the state are testing at the proficient level on state assessments.
Local education agencies and/or schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years are identified as needing improvement and are subject to immediate interventions. This process begins with technical assistance and involves more serious corrective actions if the school continues not to make AYP.
Schools that meet or exceed AYP objectives or close achievement gaps will be eligible for State Academic Achievement Awards.
State Report Cards
NCLB mandates that the annual testing results of local education agencies be reported in annual State Report Cards. These report cards must disclose results of testing for each subject tested and for all students combined. They also must break down the results by various student populations, including:
- major racial and ethnic groups
- students with disabilities
- students with limited English proficiency
- economically disadvantaged students
- migrant students
- gender
This information allows teachers, parents, and administrators to ensure that no one student group lags behind the rest. Additionally, schools must report the number of students tested and must make report cards available to parents and the public.
School Choice
NCLB attempts to give options to parents of children enrolled in schools that receive Title I funding and that are identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.
Parents may choose to transfer their children to a school that meets proficiency requirements or AYP, with the LEA funding transportation costs. If parents chose to remain at a school that fails to make AYP for a second consecutive year, they may obtain for their children tutoring and other academic enrichment services provided outside the regular school day.
Highly Qualified Teachers
NCLB requires local education agencies to place highly qualified teachers in Title I schools.
School Choice
NCLB attempts to give options to parents of children enrolled in schools that receive Title I funding and that are identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.
Parents may choose to transfer their children to a school that meets proficiency requirements or AYP, with the LEA funding transportation costs. If parents chose to remain at a school that fails to make AYP for a second consecutive year, they may obtain for their children tutoring and other academic enrichment services provided outside the regular school day.
Highly Qualified Teachers
NCLB requires local education agencies to place highly qualified teachers in Title I schools.
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"Highly qualified" is defined as a teacher who has the following:
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Full state certification or licensure
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Bachelor's degree
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Demonstrated competence in each subject he or she teaches
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Each local education agency must report to the public whether it employs highly qualified teachers. It also must annually report to the state on its progress in meeting the requirement that all teachers be "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
A Complex Law
The No Child Left Behind Act is a complex set of rules that govern how K-12 education is currently conducted in the United States. As the Department of Education attempts to accommodate state requests and the ever-evolving needs of students, modifications to the law continue to change how it is implemented.
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