What is No Child Left Behind?

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

How much do you know about No Child Left Behind? Is it a total mystery to you? Have you had any experiences with the program?

Reply to this message and let us know your impressions of this often-controversial education program!

[wright1212]

Well I've had some experience with it studying it in college and now teaching it in college...
I understand the foundation behind it: to ensure every child is accounted for and given the same opportunities as every other student. This is helpful for homeless students, migrants, and some minorities. However the accountability for the system is strict on focusing the priority on testing-standardized testing. Children by nature do not test well, nor do they learn that way. Children are hands-on learners that show this learning by demonstrating. So its alot of pressure on schools, teachers, and children to prove this knowledge on paper. Thus many schools fall short of the requirements and there much needed funding is cut.
By far my biggest problem is how children with disabilities are handled. They are completlely neglected in the system. For example one college students younger brother with cerbral palsy-who has an average IQ just test and performs slower- will only get an attendance degree since he can not pass the exit exam!
I could go on for days-but everyone should weigh in on this.
B-T-W I am highly disappointed Obama is going to keep this act in place and only update it! So sad....

[luv4art]

When I think of NCLB I think of imbalance and overload,...I think that creativeness and critical thinking have been now left out making way for memorizing large bits of information in order to pass the test.

Teachers are being told what they must teach and not given there right to teach what they may feel will inspire children. Common sense tell you testing only measures one type of intelligent. The thought that you can test children to see how they are being taught to me is not getting the information directly from the source. Many different variables cause children to test good or bad.

I remember reading that Utah went against the NCLB when it was a act claimed against the government that it was "state intrusion" I believe this is because with the NCLB law we loose much needed local control.

Most important to me is the thought that there are children "who are more right brained" who thrive on tasting the lesson, they learn by hands on, "the blue collars of the world", the inventors who may not test well and are being hurt most by this law. I think because of the NCLB law the struggling schools don't get a chance to see those special gifts in each child. These children disparately need to be recognize and need their individual gifts seen.


I have four children 23 to 2 years I think this law is ridicules, My oldest just miss it, my middle children were in it and I know it affected their learning in a very negitive way. I just hope it gone and burried when my last one gets into school. I feel the only reason people aren't fighting harder is because of the name "No Child Left Behind" it sounds as if it's pro children but many don't see that it is really something that hurts them on so may levels.

[Stgen]

Although I think NCLB had good intentions (or at least that is what I tell myself), I believe it has had disastrous effects. I live in a great school district with HIGH test scores. But with NCLB that isn't good enough. Schools have to maintain or improve each year - which is hard when you already have very high scores. And I have a child who has some mild special needs (such as motor planing, processing speed, anxiety, social and language cues) that specialist tell me that he will overcome with time. But that flexibility is not really allowed in our current academic environment. And I find that the school then just wants to give him their cookie cutter "solution" - such as teaching him more phonics with the rest of the kids who are struggling - when that isn't his problem. Without NCLB, he might have been allowed to develop in a more relaxed environment (we are talking about elementary school) - instead he is so stressed and pressured at school that he is physically ill from the stress by Friday.

I feel that the current public education system seems fine for the 70-80% of the average American child, but God forbid you should have a child that should fall outside that range - either gifted or challenged or both. It that case you watch (or fight against) the school trying to shove your square peg child through their round hole. In my case I have watched this methodology worsen the problem instead of improve it.

[scompton73]

I agree with all of the post. From testing students so much and using those scores as the only test to decide if a school is a success or failure. I would be hard to give many different tests so the states do what is easiest and cost effective.

As a teacher I see all the "rules" that are often mind boggling, we have politicans making dumb decisions about who can teach, what we can teach, and when they dont have any idea what it is like.

It is sad to see when the district put the most focus on the kids that are almost there because they will help test scores the most. The gifted often help others and the lowest kids certaintly dont get enough help. I feel like I work so hard just to be told our test scores didnt make it but I know that the kids in my class improve, maybe not where the state says they need to be.

Now they are raising class size and giving up less people to help. It is a hard enough job but what do we do now. All kids learn at different rates.

I will mention, as a parent, I have seen the most active parents at home and at school and I have seen the parents with no participation for whatever reason. I have a 6th grader and I check his homework, we look up info on the computer if I dont know how to do a certain math problem. Its not just asking, 'Hey is your homework done?" As parents we need to be an active part and encourage other parents to take an active part. If your able to be at your childs school, even if it is for an hour, that makes a huge difference. You dont have to work in your childs classroom. My sons schedule is different than mine and I have a week and I ask at my sons school "What can I do to help?" I only have a week but I can do something to help.

Be your childs advocate, know what they are learning and be an active part. Every state has the state standards that tell you what your child should know. Teachers dont have enough time in the day to do everything...Working together is the most effective and efficient way for students to succeed.

[big-mouth-burgher]

I'm in total agreement. I live in a district where the teacher's contract was up in June, the submitted a proposal to the school board and haven't heard one word. So my teachers may go on strike - but you can be sure the school board moved quickly on getting the football, basketball, etc. everything they need.

I think we need to focus more on making sure teachers have what they need to teach our children more effectively and not worry so much about all these rules that the suits make up. They have no clue what it's like for teachers - I have a few in my family.

And all the pressure on the kids to "test well" is crazy. In my state they don't test until the spring, but my son is already nervous about it. How wrong is that to have kids worried about doing good for their school to get money to support the athletes?

[Mellonee]

After spending nine frustrating years teaching struggling students in public school, I left the profession when I was told that special needs students would be placed in regular classrooms and expected to meet the same NCLB standards as other students. I do not feel that NCLB addresses the needs of our students whatsoever. You cannot use standardized testing to evaluate what a child knows, how effective a teacher is, or how effective a school is. The basics of education studies emphasizes that standardized testing is often unreliable because of the tests themselves or because different students test differently.

As a parent, I became more and more frustrated watching my children (both gifted) not getting an education that required them to think. Instead, they were spending their time doing test prep and answering in multiple choice form so they would be ready for the state test. Though both of my children did well, I decided to remove them from public school and homeschool them myself.

We, as a nation, do not need politicians determining what makes good education. They can't even get good government right. We need people with educational EXPERIENCE determining what will make for good education. Politicians have no business whatsoever mandating any rules, regulations, or day to day operations in our schools -- unless they want to spend some time in a classroom themselves- and I don't mean a publicity laden walk-through that "shows they are concerned"!

[Momstorti]

This topic gets me so heated, and has for yrs. I have a 15yr old and a 11 yr old that also have minor special needs.
The pressure that is put on all these children is sick. Months of prep work for a test! What the H- E- double hockey stick!, has happened to normal class work? When the students start to "get ready" for this test, the homework alone that is sent home with them is crazy, What happened to everyday long term learning, the materials that stick with children?
And I would also have to say the pressure put on these teachers on how to "Take the Test", and how to teach our kids to take it.
With BOTH of my children I have had 2 different teachers, and I dont even know how to put this in a nice way, but both teachers "scaring, I will say", the children into making sure all there "testing homework", was ALWAYS done and if not things would be taken away, like my sons 5th grade camping trip? WHAT is going on, what fear is being put on these teachers?
I remember my oldest daughter coming home in TEARS, because she was so worried about the test! It has got so bad where I had to go to my school and tell these teachers to back off! NOt that I blame them, but they had to be put into reality.
They need to put that much time, or no let me say they need to be allowed to their job of everyday teaching.
I think the test needs to be adjusted for every learning level of a child.
My final thought is, if teachers are doing their job, their daily teaching, not 'Prep teaching for test', than it doesnt matter when a test is giving, it should be a surprise test. Yes a heads up can be giving, alittle in advance, but like I said if the teachers are doing their job, it shouldnt matter when its giving, normal school work should not be Halted because an "important test" is coming up!
I feel both of my children have lost alot of long term learning because of the pressures of this test.
Sorry for rambling, I just get sooo upset when it comes to this.

[Spnglmoon]

I have a wonderful 2.5 yr old who is already able to sound out three letter words, knows most basic letter combos, counts to 20 and is starting to get the rudiments of basic math, counting change, and telling time. I feel that by kindergarten she may be be bored in a standardized classroom. All these posts about how "No Children Left Behind" doesn't have provisions for children that are either gifted or disabled is alarming to me! I can't afford private school, so what options are there? Should I be considering home schooling?

[artistmom]

Well I've had some experience with it studying it in college and now teaching it in college...
I understand the foundation behind it: to ensure every child is accounted for and given the same opportunities as every other student. This is helpful for homeless students, migrants, and some minorities. However the accountability for the system is strict on focusing the priority on testing-standardized testing. Children by nature do not test well, nor do they learn that way. Children are hands-on learners that show this learning by demonstrating. So its alot of pressure on schools, teachers, and children to prove this knowledge on paper. Thus many schools fall short of the requirements and there much needed funding is cut.
By far my biggest problem is how children with disabilities are handled. They are completlely neglected in the system. For example one college students younger brother with cerbral palsy-who has an average IQ just test and performs slower- will only get an attendance degree since he can not pass the exit exam!
I could go on for days-but everyone should weigh in on this.
B-T-W I am highly disappointed Obama is going to keep this act in place and only update it! So sad....

To Wright1212, I agree with you with everything you posted. I, for one have a nine year old daughter who is now in the process of being tested for Mitochondrial Disease which affects the brain, heart and liver and lungs and muscles, since there is no diagnosis as of yet the doctors feel very strongly about this. If anything , my husband and I feel that it has affected her brain . She has learning disabilities and it has also affected her muscles. She cannot even jump rope or swing or even ride bike , with all of this going on she is starting a new school this year and guess what? They have stairs , she is so terrified of stairs and her legs will start to tire out til she is crawling up the stairs. They have an elevator but that will not be available to her all the time. I had wanted to home school her this year but My husband wanted to see what would happened at this new school. For 3 years I had battled with Pineville school trying to encourage them to see where I was coming from in terms of her academics skills and they would not listen to us. I am so sick of our school system in this county. Toward the end of 2009 in May-June the school gave up on her and send her on to the fourth grade for the year of 2009-2010. Speaking of No Child Left Behind that is all bull crap because my child was left behind and the School Board doesn't care! So I know exactly where you are coming from.