No Child Left Behind Act

President Bush quoted, "Clearly, our children are our future…Too many of our neediest children are being left behind" (www.ed.gov). The "No Child Left Behind" Act expands the federal government's role in elementary and secondary education. The NCLB emphasizes accountability and abiding by policies set by the federal government. This law sets strict requirements and deadlines for states to expand the scope and frequency of student testing, restore their accountability system and guarantee that every classroom is staffed by a teacher qualified to teach in his or her subject area. Furthermore, the NCLB requires states to improve the quality of their schools from year to year. The NCLB pushes state governments and educational systems to help low-achieving and low-efficiency learners in high-poverty schools meet the same academic standards that apply to all other students. There are many important aspects of the "No Child Left Behind" Act. I think the most important area of the act is the parents. Parents play just as an important role to the educational system as anyone else. NCLB expands parental options. NCLB supports learning in the early years, thereby preventing many learning difficulties that may arise later in the students' life. 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). NCLB provides more information for parents about their child's progress. Reading and math assessments are done several times and provide parents with objective data on where their child stands academically. NCLB requires states and school districts to give parents easy-to-read, detailed report cards on schools and districts, telling them which ones are succeeding and why. These report cards are detailed with extensive data. NCLB ensures that parents have important information regarding the schools their children attend and whether they are performing well or not. In addition, under NCLB, such schools that are considered low-performing must use their federal funds to make needed improvements. In the event of a school's continued poor performance, parents have the option to ensure that their children receive the high-quality education to which they are entitled. This means that parents have the option to send their children to another school that is of higher quality. Ultimately, because of NCLB, parents will know their children's strengths and weaknesses and how well schools are performing. Parents will have more options and resources for helping their children and schools in which they attend. The NCLB gives parents a very important option. As said before, if a student is attending a low-performing school, then the parents have the option of sending their child to a higher performing school. I think this raises a conflict in the education system. Many parents are more interested in what is going on in their children's current school than they are in transferring their child. In addition, the parents do not get a choice of which school their child will be transferred to. Therefore, it puts a great amount of stress and pressure on the child to adapt to a new environment and a new society. I think another big problem that has not been well addressed is the fact that low-performing students are being sent to higher performing schools. This means that the low-performing students may bring down the achievement level and standards level at the higher performing school. This may disallow the higher performing school to meet the necessary standards and then another transfer may be needed at the end of the next school year. I agree with the NCLB in which early learning will prevent adolescent and adult difficulties. Parents would surely agree with this statement. Parents want the best education for their children from the start. Unfortunately, not all parents are able to give their children the best educational instruction early in their childhood. I think more money needs to be given to low performing school so that they can hire a better staff, buy better text books and classroom materials and do whatever it takes to earn these types of schools a better name. On a more positive note, President Bush is giving a great deal of money to the educational reform. President Bush believes in the bright potential of today's youth, and schools are responsible for making sure children are learning. I think is important that parents are kept up to date with their child's educational status in the classroom. I think that with the additional funds that are being given to schools, it will improve the teacher's motivation and the teacher's ability to teach. This gives parents a better feeling of security that their child is learning efficiently in the classroom. I think the "No Child Left Behind" Act is a step forward in the educational reform process. I think most parents are pleased with the efforts of President Bush. Parents are able to receive more feedback on how their child is performing in the classroom. Although, I think the act puts more pressure on the students. In our text, there was a great deal of information on standards, assessment and accountability. I do not like the fact that the students are evaluated on their test scores in grades three through eight and then at least once in high school. Some students do not perform well on standardized tests and the idea that they are being assessed on their scores just adds to the tension for these students. However, it is something that needs to be done in order for teachers, parents and administrators to make decisions with today's children and how they fair in the classroom. NCLB gives teachers, students and parents a base on how to go about the student's performance in the classroom. A standard is set from this act and from this standard; teachers and parents learn which way to go in the educational process for our children. The standards will provide a way of addressing the educational needs of low-achieving students. Many states use the standards-based education in which the process of teaching, learning, and assessment is based on national, state, and local education standards. This seems like an easy matter, but in reality, it is a complicated and conflicting subject. According to the text, standards are one of the main topics of educational and political rhetoric and debate in this decade. One of the major reasons for this controversy is that it is almost impossible to separate standards from assessment of student progress and teacher and school accountability. Therefore, parents are at somewhat of a crossroad. With the right amount of funding and the proper objectives from government, the education reform could grow to be a huge success. As for right now, it is still under reform, and with certain changes comes certain conflicts. The goal at hand seems to be an effort to put all students, no matter what race, gender, income-status, etc. at the same academic standing as all other students. This is an extremely difficult task with many students being at different learning abilities. President Bush is not going to give up and maintain his fight for better education. Our country, noted as the greatest nation in the world, deserves to give our children the right to an excellent education. The children of today are the men and women of the future. Therefore, the "No Child Left Behind" Act is a great step forward for teachers, parents and students across the country.