What is the No Child Left Behind Act?

In 2002, President Bush signed an act called "No Child Left Behind". This act was designed to make schools more accountable for the success of their students and to promote proven teaching methods to ensure that children were being properly taught in schools across the country. In the five years since this act was put into place, a number of children have gone through the program.

The No Child Left Behind act requires that schools be held responsible for the quality of education that they provide, no matter where they are located. This means that children in Harlem should receive the same level of education as those in Beverly Hills. The act does this by involving parents in the equation. If a school is not providing a decent education, the parents can report it and actions will be taken to improve the school.

Regular state assessments are carried out to help determine how well the school is doing. The students are tested on reading and math annually up to grade 8. This coming year, science will also be included in the test, to ensure that students are up to par in all academic areas.

Testing is required for all students, including those with special needs. The testing process is to ensure that all students are receiving the education that they need in order to continue learning. It helps prevent students from slipping through the cracks, as in the past, some children arrived at graduation without being able to read or write at even the most basic level.

No Child Left Behind is an act designed to help children reach their full potential, whatever that may be. It includes leveled reading classes where students can be taught at the level they are at, be that above or below the grade average.

In the past, schools for disadvantaged children (such as in the ghettos), were given funding whether or not they showed results. However, under the No Child Left Behind act, the funding is now directly related to the progress of the students. Each school must show improvement in their teaching methods or they do not receive the money. Parents are given the option of using the funds to bus their children to a better school or to hire tutors or provide after school classes if their school does not improve enough.

The No Child Left Behind Act is slowly taking effect, now that children have been involved in it for several years. There has been a marked effect and one can only hope that the trend toward good, high quality education will continue.