No Child Left Behind: Overview
The No Child Left Behind Act (P.L107-110) represents the most significant expansion of the federal role in K-12 education since congress passed the Education of All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, and the 1964-65 “Great society” legislation that desegregated the schools in America and channeled federal funds into the schools across America. The No Child Left Behind legislation was passed by congress with bipartisan support in January 2001, signed into law in January 8, 2002, and its regulations were finalized in December 2002. It is scheduled for reauthorization in 2007. The provisions of this law apply to all public schools and Charter Schools. The five major components of the law are: - Assessment and Accountability: The federal government has set a timeline by which ALL children, including special needs and LEP students, in public schools MUST achieve proficiency on standards based testing as defined by the state. All public schools are subject to well defined consequences should they not meet these criteria. Consequences for Title I schools are far more serious than schools that do not receive Title I funds, and include the following:
- Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)
- Identification of Schools in Need of Improvement that do not meet AYP goals
- School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services
- School Restructuring
- Highly Qualified Teachers: The federal government has set minimum qualification requirements for teachers in all schools across the nation, whether or not the schools receive federal funds.
- Parental Involvement/ the Parents’ Right to Know Provision: The law requires that parents be involved in creating a parent compact with each Title I school and that the district files a parent involvement policy with direct input from parents. Parents have the right to know all information related to assessment and accountability.
- Fiscal Requirements: Specific percentages of Title I funds are allotted for complying with the law.
Other mandates include: - Safe and Orderly Schools
- Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students and Parent Notification to Parents of these Students
- Bilingual Education
- Alignment of NCLB and IDEA
- NCLB and Charter Schools
- Equitable Services to Private School Students
- Use of “scientifically-based” curricula and professional development
- FERPA-Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
- School prayer
- Boys Scouts
- Military Recruiters’ Access to School Campus and Students Information
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