No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

An Act of Congress originally proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001. It became law on January 8, 2002. NCLB enacts the theories of standards based education reform. The idea is that establishing measureable goals and setting higher standards can improve individual outcomes in education. Each state is required to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades in order to receive federal funding. It also requires states to develop guidelines for underperforming schools and requires teacher to be “highly qualified”. Thus far there has been mixed reviews on NCLB. The favorable outcomes include improved test scores, increased accountability, & attention to minority populations. Criticisms have included unrealistic goals, problems with standardized tests, and incentives against low performing students.