No Child Left Behind Act

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

No Child Left Behind, like most contemporary legislation, is a thicket of clauses and subclauses that announce goals, specify requirements, and enumerate administrative procedures for how the law is to be enacted—covering reporting requirements, disbursement of funds, audits, and so forth. At bottom the law attempts to improve education in the United States in four ways. The first is to impose stricter accountability on school districts and states. Each year, school districts and states are required to inform parents and the community about the progress and performance of the schools as measured by standardized tests. Any school that does not make “adequate yearly progress” is obliged to provide students with supplemental services such as tutoring. Any school that fails to make significant progress over time has to take corrective action.

A second component of the law is to provide states and communities with more flexibility in the use of federal education funds. For example, based on local needs, a school district can funnel significant numbers of federal dollars to Improving Teacher Quality State Grants. Other possibilities include implementation of technological tools, creation of new and innovative programs, and creation of programs to improve school safety and diminish drug use. Additionally, schools can use federal dollars as needed to hire new teachers, improve teacher pay, or provide training and professional development opportunities for teachers.

A third major component of the act is to emphasize the use of educational programs and practices that rigorous scientific research has shown to be effective. Federal funding, then, is used to support these programs and practices. An example is scientifically based reading instruction in early grades. The goal is to eliminate “gimmicky” and unproven educational methods.

Finally, No Child Left Behind aims to provide more choice for parents. Parents whose children are enrolled in a low-performing school that fails to meet minimum standards for two consecutive years have the option of transferring their children to a better public school in the district, including a charter school (a usually experimental public school that operates outside normal rules and procedures). The district must provide those students with transportation. Additionally, low-income students in schools that fail to meet standards for three years become eligible for supplemental services such as tutoring, after-school programs, and summer school. Any student who attends a dangerous school or has been a crime victim at school is allowed to transfer to a safe school in the district.