| The NCLB Act was presented in 2001 by | | | | appropriate test taking strategies that will help |
| President George W. Bush. This Act was a | | | | improve test performance and reduce test |
| reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary | | | | anxiety (Jewell, 2004). |
| Education Act of 1965(ED.gov, 2006). The Act | | | | Another benefit to this Act was it empowered |
| was finally passed in February of 2002 causing | | | | parents to have a choice in their child's education. |
| sweeping reforms in education (Wright, 2005, p.4). | | | | If they felt their child was attending a low |
| The NCLB was President Bush's idea of reforming | | | | performing school they had the right to get a |
| education with four main points to be the focus | | | | variance or voucher to send them to another |
| points of his plan. This piece of legislation was | | | | school. This gives all children an equal chance at a |
| meant to increase accountability for states, school | | | | good education. The downfall to this is parents |
| districts, and schools; to give greater choices for | | | | who are unaware of how the system works do |
| parents and students, particularly those attending | | | | not take advantage of this. For example, one can |
| low performing schools; to give more flexibility in | | | | end up with 80% of a school filled with children of |
| the spending of Federal educational dollars; and to | | | | migrant workers or low socio-economic |
| place a greater emphasis on reading. | | | | disadvantage children because their parents are |
| The NCLB has many great points, but also has | | | | unaware of this program. |
| many downfalls. For example, with the institution | | | | This Act was supposed to increase funds for |
| of this Act came greater accountability for | | | | school technology. The upside to this was children |
| student performance. This made schools, districts, | | | | would be trained and taught with tools for the |
| and administrators much more aware of what | | | | twenty-first century. The downside is this is one |
| teachers were teaching in the classrooms. The | | | | of the programs that is to be cut as of this |
| schools were required to show Adequate Yearly | | | | February is this part of the NCLB (American |
| Progress or AYP in order to receive additional | | | | School Board Journal, 2006, p.71). These were |
| government funding as a reward. | | | | programs like the computer based program Read |
| Furthermore, as standardized testing has taken on | | | | Naturally. |
| increasing importance in the evaluation of | | | | These are all of the many ways the NCLB can |
| students, teachers, and schools, so too has the | | | | impact the classroom. The one that seems to |
| preparation of students to take these tests. | | | | have the most impact is the accountability. When |
| Clearly, the best way to prepare students for | | | | teachers spend most of their time teaching to the |
| tests is to teach them the content; however, this | | | | test instead of teaching the core curriculum one |
| leaves very little time to cover the regular | | | | has to ask,"What has school become?" Students |
| curriculum. Moreover, schools need to ensure that | | | | no longer go to school to form friendships, to |
| special education students and students with | | | | learn about what makes a plant grow, or how |
| limited English proficiency receive the appropriate | | | | many days it will take for a seed to grow. They |
| accommodations permitted by the test. In | | | | spend their days learning how to score well on |
| addition, students need to receive instruction in | | | | the AIMS or the Terra Nova. |