No Child Left Behind Act of 2001Kenneth BlackCalifornia Lutheran UniversityIntergovernmental RelationsMPPA 556February 17, 2009No Child Left Behind Act of 2001On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. NCLB was designed to augment the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. NCLB was touted as a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). At the time of its signing Bush commented that NCLB was one of the cornerstones of his administration. In his speech following the signing, Bush stated. "Clearly, our children are our future, and, too many of our neediest children are being left behind." (U.S. Department of Education, ö 1)The NCLB legislation reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA), the federal government's largest investment in K-12 education. Title I of ESEA targets over $11 billion in financial assistance to schools educating low-income students.
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American Education is in the DumpsterESEA allocates almost another $10 billion for teacher recruitment and professional development, educational technology, after-school programs, and other purposes (The Education Trust, n.d.).
Along with providing additional resources, the NCLB legislation adds important accountability provisions to Title I of ESEA and establishes a framework for real progress in raising overall student achievement and in increasing parent involvement. The accountability provisions require states to set clear timelines for improving student achievement, with particular emphasis on closing achievement gaps between low-income and minority students and their peers. The new reporting provisions ensure that parents and the public will have a better sense of how schools are doing (The Education Trust, n.d.).
No Child Left Behind Emphasizes Four Major ComponentsThe major focus of NCLB is to provide all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain...