| No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a landmark in
education reform designed to improve student
achievement. With passage of No Child Left Behind,
Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA)-the principal
federal law affecting education from kindergarten
through high school. It is built on four pillars:
accountability for results; an emphasis on doing what
works based on scientific research; expanded parental
options; and expanded local control and flexibility.
Children who enter school with language skills and pre-reading
skills (e.g., understanding that print reads from left
to right and top to bottom) are more likely to learn to
read well in the early grades and succeed in later
years. In fact, research shows that most reading
problems faced by adolescents and adults are the result
of problems that could have been prevented through good
instruction in their early childhood years (Snow, Burns,
and Griffin, 1998). It is never too early to start
building language skills by talking with and reading to
children. No Child Left Behind targets resources for
early childhood education so that all youngsters get the
right start.
The goal of No Child Left Behind is for each state to measure every
public school student’s progress in reading and math in
grades 3 through 8 and at least once during grades 10
through 12. By school year 2007-2008, assessments in
science will be underway. These assessments must be
aligned with state academic content and achievement
standards. They will provide parents with objective data
on where their child stands academically.
No Child Left Behind requires state and school districts to give
parents easy-to-read, detailed report cards on schools
and districts. Included in the report cards are student
achievement data as well as important information about
the professional qualifications of teachers. Annual
tests to measure children’s progress provide teachers
with information about each child’s strengths and
weaknesses. With this knowledge, teachers can design
lessons to make sure each student meets or exceeds the
standards. No Child Left Behind defines the
qualifications needed by teachers and instructional
aides who work with children.
United for Results
Parents… will know their
children’s strengths
and weaknesses and how well schools are performing
Teachers… will have the
training and resources they need for teaching
effectively;
using curricula that are grounded in scientifically
based research; annual testing lets them know areas in
which students need extra attention
Principals.. will have
information they need to improve the achievement of the
students in their schools
Curriculum
Directors … will be able to measure how their
schools are doing and to measure their schools in
relation to others across the state; they will have
information on which to base decisions about priorities
in their school districts.
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