"The no child left behind act?

I really wish people would not comment on things that they know nothing about. Not one person who has posted here has actually posted on No Child Left Behind, instead they have posted their opinions on "social promotion".

Social Promotion is the belief that children who are doing poorly in school should be moved to the next grade (promoted with their peers) because if they aren't, their self esteem will suffer. Proponents of social promotion vary greatly on what they believe will happen to the child the next year (years). Some feel that a different teacher might "catch the child up academically", others feel that there should be pull out programs or after school programs that teach the children the skills they are missing, while others believe the children will magically learn the concepts they are unclear on as they mature. Still others feel that academics aren't that important and so "who cares if the child is lacking key academic skills?"

I have my personal opinions on social promotion, but since your question was on The No Child Left Behind Act, I will address that question.

Public Law 107 -110, which is more commonly known as "No Child Left Behind" is a law that President Bush put into effect in 2001 that states that all states have to make standards and then test their children to make sure that they are learning those standards. The law also states that each year, more and more children have to pass the tests, until in 2014 when ALL children will be passing. Every year that a school doesn’t raise the number of students who pass the tests, the school will be greatly penalized.

For most people the name of the law, and the idea that all children are expected to pass the tests sounds like a wonderful idea. In reality there are good things that are part of the law, but either they are overshadowed by the bad things, or the way the the law is implemented. For example, part of the law is "access to remedial tutoring is mandatory for children who are not making the grade". That is a good point. Sadly, the law doesn’t allow for the funds and time to do this, so many schools are now taking time out of their day to have the teachers teach the tutoring classes. Because teachers now teach remedial tutoring during the day, there is less time for the teachers to teach curriculum. Subjects like history, science, social studies and geography which aren't tested have all but disappeared from most schools.

Another problem with the program is that it is standards based. This is a problem in two ways. First states get to choose their standards. Some states have then chosen very low standards to help insure that their schools pass and they receive state funding. Teachers are then forced to teach only the standards, and the quality of education in these states is low.

Other states have chosen impossibly high standards, ones that mean that most schools will not be able to pass. Schools that don't pass, not only don't receive federal funding, but don't receive state funding. This means less money the state needs to pay.

The great discrepancy caused by each state having different standards have led to a great difference in what is considered "grade level". Literally, a failing kindergartner in one state can be an honor roll 3rd grader in another. Some people are working towards national standards. This would fix the problem of varying standards, but it is still limiting in the overall schema of things.

Why? Children who are capable of more aren't getting their needs met because teachers are only allowed to teach the standard, not above. Our best and our brightest are being bored out of their minds while we focus on getting all children to pass a standard. On the other hand, our lower children, being forced to meet a standard that they don't have the skills for, and become frustrated and overwhelmed. So are all the good teachers, who know that what we are doing isn't working, but are scared to do anything but follow the scripts handed to them for fear of being yelled at or fired.

Lastly, (actually, not last, but the last thing I will address here), there are the educational sanctions placed on schools when they don’t “pass”. Failing schools lose more and more money each year that they are labeled as “failing”. A few years ago my school had $200 per classroom to buy all the paper, pencils, erasers, zero copies, and so on that it needed, (forget things like balls for PE and recess). Over the years it was lowered to $50. How can we expect all children to succeed when the teachers, especially of our poorest and most needy, aren’t given the means to supply them with basic learning supplies? Some people say we need to have their parents supply it. But most of our parents can't or won't, penalizing our children further.

Hello, It means that no child will be left behind wihen it comes to being brainwashed by our national teachers assoc. The only way our children can be reprogrammed is through this program. How else will our future leaders know that is it okay to be gay and not be able to compete with other nations? There really is no such thing anymore and the 3 R's. The 3 R's have gone by the wayside I believe since the end of the 1980s. Now, when I graduated in 1989, school was still school. But all of a sudden, the need to re program our children about their behaviors, it is okay to be gay and anti God was in the forefront. So, this is the real agenda of the no child left behind act. Hope this helps you................ : -O

It's hard to say, I feel like the world is really messed up in some ways, so it makes no child left behind SEEM like a good thing. People are so quick to rush kids through the educational system and get them out of high school and into the work force (or maybe college) I think it was just an excuse for the school system to get rid of as many kids as possible and only keep them in school for the shortest duration possible so that he could cut educational funding and give more money to the military to go blow up places. I wish people would take education more slowly and not make it so stressful. Learning is supposed to be fun and broadening, not stressful and rapid. I also hate how kids are so afraid of not understanding something in school, everyone has road blocks, and the school system now acts like if you fail a subject, you're doomed to a life of minimum wage or something. I wish people could be more understanding.

My Government teacher said the "no child left behind" act made him feel like he was herding cattle from one end of the field to the other. I agree.

i think its very good,because there are alot of teachers out there are bad teachers that if they cant get across something to the student they don't have the care or Patience and right away they are so quick to flunk them, when the student gets good grades in other subjects in school, i been there twice, with me personally and then my son, i failed 5th grade when i was younger, and, it was just because the teacher did not have time for me, and also, my son, he had good grades but failed him because of learning disability, but as he grew up he matured alot, and then his grades failed because he was bored and his friends went on without him,so i think its a good idea to don't leave any child behind

Overall it's a good idea. Before NCLB if a kid was having trouble with 1 subject while getting honors in other subjects, that kid would be held back while his friends moved on without him.

Bad. Trust me go to the high schools now a days. Some of them cant read, write and know absolutely nothing. It just puts pressure to pass kids along. Kids that dont know anything cant get into college, they cant get jobs. Ergo more well fair.

I think in some cases good, some are bad.

If a child is failing just one subject then no, why hold them back, just put them in a lower set next year.

EDIT: So basically, if I don't agree with you, I get a thumbs down. I live in the UK, we don't have this, yet our levels are very similar to yours. No kids are held back, they're just placed in a lower band the next year. it works pretty well.

I think it is a bad idea.

Children are just moved to another, harder, grade before they have mastered the material.

Children do not learn to study, there is no penalty for failing to study, and this is not how real life outside the classroom works.

Good

i personally think it's a good idea.