No Child Left Behind: Is It Working?

By Susan Thompson on December 31, 2009, 12:06 pm

Ask any teacher how they feel about NCLB and you’re guaranteed some heated reactions, ranging from extreme dislike to praise. But the question is, is it working? There’s no doubt that standardized testing has changed the way the American public school system operates especially with curriculum geared towards the test. Test scores have improved overall but there is also a growing gap between those with learning disabilities and the general student population without learning disabilities.

This results based system has shown that America’s students are doing better and on the up side it  helps get rid of under performing teachers who should not be educators. But many teachers live in fear that if their school is pumping out low test scores that it will be shut down and restaffed. That does bode well for the student population in either scenario.

Testing Doesn’t Work For Everyone

One if the biggest problems with No Child Left Behind is the standardized testing. While it is the most efficient method of evaluation it does not take into account those with learning disabilities. Sure, the teachers may make modifications to the tests but even those without learning disabilities might not test well in that type of format. There needs to be some other method of evaluation to see if the kids are learning what they should be.

America is still way behind on the educational front of the industrialized countries but NCLB may not be the answer. By adhering to such a rigid plan of curriculum and evaluation we risk losing the connection with the students. What ever happened to truly engaging the students and empowering them educationally, not through rote memorization, but from hands on experience? Until we can come together, politicians, educators, and parents, and work out a real solution for our nation’s students then we risk falling further behind in education.

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