A couple of weeks ago there was an article in Time magazine that dealt with No Child Left Behind. The article by Kayla Weebly discussed how in the beginning No Child Left Behind was effective in uncovering achievement gaps in schools that succeeded as well as drop out factories. However the problem with it is that the regulations and standards that have been imposed on schools and school districts have not been effective in closing the achievement gaps.
The law was up for reauthorization and was allowed to stay on the books despite the wide spread unhappiness with the law. Virtually everyone understands that the law or more appropriately the regulations it requires is not justified. However there is no consensus on the direction public education needs to go in.
Interestingly President Obama announced earlier today that 10 states will be able to exempt the rules set by the No Child Left Behind law.
The exemption comes with strings attached that worries some but comes as a willing sacrifice to others.
My take on No Child Left Behind (NCLB):
The law has been effective in getting reform efforts to reform but done little in the way of actual reform (despite its best efforts and intentions).
As a result of strenuous pressure and we as a nation have began teaching to the almighty test.
That is not good.
Creativity, innovation, collaboration, and ingenuity are lost when we teach to the test. We are not reforming education.
No Child Left Behind is and always will be landmark legislation that brought attention to the need for educational reform but it is not the mechanism that will bring that reform.
What do you think? Has NCLB accomplished what it set out to do? Is it possible to achieve qualitative reform under NCLB?
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