What is to Come of No Child Left Behind?

What is to Come of No Child Left Behind?

Megan Smith

EDU623: Introduction to Teaching & Learning

Professor Evans

March 5, 2012

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, was signed into law by George Bush Jan.8, 2002. This acts required specific proficiency levels and accountability from test data recorded by both the schools and the teachers. It also required higher qualifications for teachers and schools, and this means there had to be stricter monitoring of schools and their teachers through tracking student progresses, and this is done by use of standardized testing. The standardized testing meant that all students must be tested and documented for performance and reported to the states. Overall, this law was to improve education across the country, and to assure that there was not a child being left out, or falling behind the curriculum of other students, and that each child be tested the same and equally.

These standards assigned to each states, meant that all students must meet on an average level of comprehension necessary to make the states accountability requirements. That is, it is determined what each student must learn, in order to meet the standards. This meant all students in the district, every race, every culture, every mind, every income, and every student with learning disability, must all together meet the same required data with understanding. In addition, each year was taken into consideration, and each year as it goes the requirements may alter, but mostly the adequate yearly progress documented became requirements for each state. This put even more pressure of schools and teachers in many ways. Failure to oblige to this new program, or failure to have all students meet the average to pass the standardized tests, would result in consequences for the schools and the teachers. However, when the act was put into place the intention was to assure the education of the youth, and to assure that all kids alike have the same understanding required to pass the basic test requirements.

Since 2002, many things have changed for our country, and now many people are standing up and requesting this law be reconsidered due to many factors. Right now many professionals are discussing the impact of this law and explaining areas where it may be prospering, while others are saying it is not effective and requires some serious changes. For example, one article from Times Magazine, Why It’s Time to Replace No Child Left Behind, Kayla Webley states, “Teachers and administrators say NCLB sets impossibly high standards and has narrowed curriculums, forcing teachers to teach to the tests, and it has labeled far too many schools as, ‘in needs of improvement,’ creating a race to the bottom as states dumb down their standards to ensure that more of their schools meet NCLB’s rigid benchmarks.” (Times Magazine, Vol.179 Issue 3, p40-44)). The very issue of flaws in the NCLB, have let to many articles similar to this one. The discussions of the problems of standardized testing have accrued. Taking standardized test depends on so many circumstances. For instance, a child may be tired, exhausted or over exited for a weekend or family vacation. There are different students that learn at different levels and at different paces, and students with different areas of intelligences and different strengths in certain areas. For example, there is no way to make all students curve to a standard, this defy individual creativity as well as the information tested is useless in preparing young students for college and adulthood. Mostly specifically it is not prepare young adults in high school for the experiences to come with adulthood. . They may pass the tests through high school, but are still left with no understanding of what adulthood entails. For example, few are prepared for college level responsibilities, including tax responsibility, balancing budgets, and career professionalism. In addition, the article discusses how it has also caused teachers to become frustrated to the point that it effects their careers. Teachers are no longer as passionate and having their careers on the line can push away teachers that would have otherwise thrived. Teachers resistance to NCLB has caused discrepancies. The resentment that a teacher may hold for the system, may reflect in the lessons and overall attitude could make an impression on students whether or not they are aware.

As far as preparing young adults for careers to come, and the problems with NCLB in regards to this, is discussed in an article about the state of Michigan. They are attempting, with most other states, to bring about changes to NCLB. The article titled, Department of Education Requests Waivers to Federal No Child Left Behind Provisions, Martin Ackley makes claims, “The states waiver request is integrated with current statutory requirements, and effective school improvement practices. It builds on the implementation of Michigan’s career- and college-ready standards and assessments; provides achievable but rigorous objectives that move students rapidly towards academic proficiency; establishes a new, stronger accountability structure; strengthens teacher and principal evaluation and support; and removes unnecessary or burdensome state rule and regulations,”(Targeted News Service, Washington, D.C.: March 1, 2012). So it seems that Michigan, among many other states are currently working towards altering this NCLB law, and adjusting it so that there is a balance. A balance between requirements and the students individuality. Above this the revisions also come from teachers, desiring to teach elements that may not be included in NCLB, but may benefit the students in handling adulthood and their futures.

For me, as an individual, I was always a very bright student, but a very poor tester. I would excel at the arts, and music, and math and sciences, but would fail at social studies or English courses when it came to bubble testing. This is why I am very fascinated with the new theories that discuss different intelligences and how areas of intelligence can be divided and distinguished. So what about different types of intelligences? In our courses text book it states, “In recent years, there has been growing support for the idea that intelligence has many facets or that there are multiple intelligences. According to this view, intelligence is not a unitary trait but rather consists of a number of separate categories. A person may have different levels of ability in individual categories. That is, a person may be smart in certain categories of intelligence and not so smart in terms of certain other categories.”(Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education Pages 16-17). It makes sense that each individual would have strengths in certain areas and weakness in others. In order for schools to meet the needs of each individual, this theory should be taken into consideration. It reminds me of monoculture, like when a crop is grown, there must be more than one type of crop planted to have a successful harvest, too much of one crop will cause disease, and lower yields of harvest. Only by planting many different crops can it flourish and grow and yield the most. Same with education, if we only focus on one area of intelligence then all other areas will go dormant, and problems will arise from the original area. We must nourish each individual student and cater to the differences and our students. Otherwise, there can be no great outcome.

No Child Left Behind has been a huge topic for states and media, and is currently undergoing debates and revisions. Hopefully, we as a nation can meet somewhere in the middle. By this, we can make sure all students are on target and attentive and aware of the teachings, but we can also cater to different intelligences and assess different standards to different types of students. If first the needs of the students are met on an individual level, then second the individuals can use there own routes or learning methods, and finally succeed to what their needs our. As a future teacher, there is only hope that a balance will be met and that all students of all mind sets can be treated the same and given the tools to prosper.

　

　

　

References

Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education; Eighth Edition. David G. Armstrong. Kenneth T. Henson. Tom V. Savage.

Lansing, Mich. Targeted News Service. Washington, D.C.: March 1, 2012. Wire Feed.

Why It’s Time to Replace No Child Left Behind Webley, Kayla. Time; 1/23/2012, Volume 179, Issue 3, P 40-44.