What Is No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? - Understood.org

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the main law for K–12 general education in the United States from 2002–2015. · The law held schools accountable for how kids ... SkiptocontentThispageisinEnglishEN|ESExploreourresourcesContentlibraryHowtospotsignsinkidsPodcastsWorkplaceresourcesWunderappforparentsAboutusOurmissionOurleadershipHowwestartedRedefiningaccessibilityEditorialstandardsMediacenterBlogPartnershipsDonateJoinourteamPrivacypolicyTermsofuseFundraisingdisclosureSitemapBecausedifferencesareourgreateststrengthDonateOpensnewwindowWhysupportUnderstood?AtaglanceNoChildLeftBehind(NCLB)wasthemainlawforK–12generaleducationintheUnitedStatesfrom2002–2015.Thelawheldschoolsaccountableforhowkidslearnedandachieved.Thelawwascontroversialinpartbecauseitpenalizedschoolsthatdidn’tshowimprovement. The NoChildLeftBehind Actof2001(NCLB)wasineffectfrom2002–2015.ItupdatedtheElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct(ESEA).ThelawappliedtoallK–12publicschoolsintheUnitedStates.BeforeNCLB,manyschoolsdidn’tfocusontheprogressofdisadvantagedstudents.Forexample,kidswhogotspecialeducationserviceswereoftenshutoutofgeneraleducation.Theywerealsoleftoutofstatetests.ThegoalofNCLBwastoprovidemoreeducationopportunitiesforstudents.Itfocusedonfourkeygroups:StudentsinpovertyStudentsofcolorStudentsreceiving specialeducation servicesThosewhospeakandunderstandlimitedornoEnglishUnlikepreviousversionsofESEA,NCLBheldschoolsaccountableforhowkidslearnandachieve.Itdidthisthroughannualtesting,reporting,improvementtargets,andpenaltiesforschools.ThesechangesmadeNCLBcontroversial,buttheyalsoforcedschoolstofocusondisadvantagedkids.NCLBisnolongerthelaw.In2015,NCLB wasreplacedbytheEveryStudentSucceedsAct,whichtriedtoaddresssomeofthecriticismsofthelaw.DivedeeperSchoolaccountabilitySchoolaccountabilityruleswereabigpartofNCLB.Annualtesting: Schoolshadtogivestudentsstatewidemathandreadingtestseveryyearingrades3–8andonceingrades10–12.Parentsandcaregivershadtherighttogetindividualtestresultsfortheirkids.Allkidshadtotakethetests,includingatleast95percentofstudentsinthedisadvantagedgroups.Schoolsalsohadtopubliclyreportschooland“subgroup”results.Forexample,schoolshadtoreporthowstudentsinspecialeducationwereperformingonreadingandmathtests.Academicprogress: Stateshadtobringallstudents,includingthoseinspecialeducation,uptothe“proficient”levelontests.Theyhadtosettargetsforimprovement,called adequateyearlyprogress (AYP). Schoolsessentiallygotareportcardfromthestateonhowtheywereperforming.Theschoolhadtosharethatinformationwithparentsoftheirstudents.Ifaschooldidn’tmeetAYP,itcouldbelabeledas“needingimprovement.”Penalties: Schoolswithmanylow-incomestudentsarecalled“Title Ischools.”IfaTitle Ischooldidn’tmeetAYP,NCLBallowedthestatetochangetheschool’sleadershipteamorevenclosetheschool.IfaschoolrepeatedlyfailedtomeetAYP,parentshadtheoptiontomovetheirkidstoanotherschool.ThepenaltiesonlyappliedtoTitle Ischools.Learnwhat’schangedfromNCLBincurrentlaw. OtherNCLBprovisionsApartfromaccountability,NCLBmadeotherchangestofederaleducationlaw.Hereareafewofthemostimportant.UnderNCLB,allteachershadtobe“highlyqualified”inthesubjecttheyteach.Thismeantthatspecialeducationteachershadtobecertifiedanddemonstrateknowledgeineverysubjecttheyteach.Thisisnolongerthecase.Now,federallawonlyrequiresteacherstobestatecertifiedandlicensed.NCLBgavemoreflexibilitytostatesinhowtheyspentfederalfunding,solongasschoolswereimproving.Thelawalsorequiredschoolstousescience-and research-basedinstruction andteachingmethods.Thesereformsstillinfluencetoday’slaws.Lastly,kidswithIndividualizedEducationPrograms(IEPs)and504plansoftenhaveaccommodationstohelpthemlearninschool.NCLBrequiredstatestoallowthesekidstouseaccommodationsonstatewidetests.Thisrulestillapplies.Readmoreaboutaccommodationsonstandardizedtests. ProsandconsofNCLBforstudentsPeoplehavemixedfeelingsaboutNCLB.Onthepositiveside,manybelieveNCLBledtoagreaterfocusonstrugglingstudents.Thelawsettheexpectationthattheylearnalongsidetheirpeers. Bymakingschoolsreportresultsbysubgroup,NCLBshinedalightonstudentsinpoverty,studentsofcolor,thosereceivingspecialeducationservices,andEnglishlanguagelearners.NCLBpushedschoolstogivestrugglingstudentsmoreattention,support,andhelp.Morestudentsgraduatedunderthelaw.Thegraduationrateforstudentswithspecificlearningdisabilitiesincreasedfrom57percentin2002to68percentin2011.Ontheotherhand,somesaythatNCLBfocusedtoomuchonstandardizedtesting.Someschoolsendedup“teachingtothetest” —focusingonlyonwhatstudentsweretestedon.Thisleftlittletimeforanythingelsekidsmayhaveneededorwantedtolearn.Certainpenalties,likerequiringschoolimprovementplans,werereasonable,criticssaid.Otherscouldbeveryharsh,likefiringschoolstafforclosingaschoolthat’sstruggling.CriticslinkedseveralcheatingscandalstoNCLB,citingthepressureonteachersandeducatorstoperform.SomearguedthatNCLB’sstandards-basedaccountabilitywasinconsistentwithspecialeducation,whichfocusesonmeetingachild’sindividualneeds.Despitethecontroversy,manypeoplestillsupportsomeofNCLB’sreforms.Thisincludesthereportingofschoolresults,inclusionofkids,andresearch-basedinstruction. TelluswhatinterestsyouSeeyourrecommendationsShareEmailAbouttheauthorAbouttheauthorAndrewM.I.Lee,JDisaneditorandattorneywhostrivestohelppeopleunderstandcomplexlegal,education,andparentingissues.Discoverwhat’spossiblewhenyou’reunderstood.We’llemailyouourmosthelpfulstoriesandresources.EmailSignupWunderThefirstcommunityappforparentsandcaregiversofchildrenwholearnandthinkdifferently.LearnmoreCopyright©2014-2022UnderstoodForAllInc.