The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2001, creates public school policy to ensure that schools are held accountable to parents.
Since then, it's ignited controversy over making teachers too focused on school standardized tests. Teachers and school officials argue the requirements are impossible to meet, even for top-performing schools. Many schools could be in danger of losing funding for being poor performers. And they say that kids lose out when there's a strong incentive to just "teach the test."
The law is up for renewal and many lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, want reforms in response to these major education issues before signing on. There was hope that the renewal would come in 2007, but as of the spring of 2008, NCLB legislation has not moved.
Supporters say the law gives parents two important tools to control their child's education when schools fail: A mandate to provide information about how well -- or not so well -- districts and schools are doing; and a provision to allow parents to transfer their children out of schools that are not making progress.
Here are the most parent-friendly features of the law:
School Standardized Tests Provide Data to Parents
States must establish standards for reading, math, and by 2005-06, science, and must test students in these subjects at least once in grades 3 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 to 12. In the 2005-06 school year, testing increased, requiring math and reading to be tested every year in grades 3 to 8. Why is this parent friendly? Because high standards alone are meaningless without data to show if they're being met.
Report cards on K-12 Grades Help Parents Evaluate
New report cards will inform parents about the achievement of their children's district, school and each individual child.
Parents Have More Choices About Child's Education
The new law gives parents of children in failing schools some important options. First, schools must show continual progress toward academic success for every student in every subject. If a school fails for two years to reach its goals, students in that school must be offered a chance to go to a better public school in the district, including a charter school. After the third year, the school must also offer free supplemental services such as tutoring to disadvantaged students.
Safety in School Option Offers Choice to Endangered Kids
The "Unsafe School Choice Option" offers choice within a school district to students in persistently dangerous public schools. The same option is available to any student who has been the victim of a violent criminal offense on the grounds of the school he or she attends.
Sources: Parent Power, May 2002 Vol. 4 Issue 3, published by The Center for Educational Reform, Washington, DC, and the American Federation of Teachers policy report, 2004.