The Skinny

see also background & facts, pro & con, links

What's up

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), today's version of the federal government's funding program for public schools, is up for renewal in 2007. Seen as President Bush’s signature education policy, NCLB, which aims to insure all students are 100% proficient in reading, writing and math by 2014, has had mixed results when it's come to testing time. The law has also garnered a legion of critics who say it sets demands too high and funds too low.

Now that NCLB is up for reauthorization, school districts and states, many of whom have been chafing under the bit of the law's strict guidelines, are jumping at the opportunity to ease up on the act's demands. The president has stated he wants to tweak the bill by plumping up an incentive fund for teacher recruitment, requiring states list national test scores along state scores and adding a voucher program for students in schools that aren't keeping up. A bipartisan commission has also recommended expanding the act's testing criteria even further. House leaders are opting to ease up testing requirements at the same
time as giving states more leeway to pay out bonuses to successful teachers. No word yet on how the Senate leans.

What the Debate's About

NCLB has high goals, but many educators complain that its means for reaching those goals are unrealistic, especially with the amount of cash DC offers the states to get there.

At the heart of NCLB are test scores and the requirement that all schools – both low and high performing ones – move toward 100% proficiency in reading, writing and math by 2014. The act also says it’s not enough if a school on the whole is making progress; each subpopulation – racial minorities, disabled students and students learning English – also have to be gaining academic ground. The act also aims to empower families by giving parents of students in the poorest schools that don’t make progress the right to transfer to a better performing school or to get tutoring at their current school.

The critics claim, however, that the act doesn't follow through with the money to account for all the paper work and support the act's demands. Others claim that schools are unfairly penalized because successful schools can receive poor ratings when only small subpopulations fail to score well. Parents complain that their options to transfer look good on paper, but rarely pan out in reality, as better schools are not always close to home. Then there are the cynics who hint that NCLB is part of a plan to discredit public schools – by showing they can’t meet high standards – so that a system of school vouchers will look more attractive in the future.

Other lower-profile points of contention are NCLB’s push for what it calls “proven education methods” and funding for faith-based organizations as part of the package.

Where Things Stand Now

NCLB hasn't been up for discussion in Congress since its passage in 2002, but the Department of Education occasionally tweaks its regulations to take pressure off bristling districts – by easing testing requirements for disabled students and students learning English. Meanwhile, some districts are beginning to out and out rebel, by rejecting both NCLB’s requirements and funding. As for how the act is helping students, it’s still too early to tell; recent test results are mixed.

The House was close to drafting an NCLB revamp bill in the fall, but now it looks like NCLB won't be seriously considered until '08 (NYT).

Updated November 11, 2007

Did we miss something, let some slant slip in, lose
a link - or do you just have something to say? Drop a line below! In the spirit of open dialogue, cJ asks you keep it civil, keep it real and keep it focused on the message, not the messenger. See our policy page for more on what that all means.