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The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly known as '''NCLB''', is a , 2002 , that reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of U.S. Primary and Secondary School s by increasing the standards of accountability for States , School District s and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. Additionally, it promoted an increased focus on reading and re-authorized the Elementary And Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

NCLB is the latest federal legislation (another was Goals 2000 ) which enacts the theories of Standards-based Education Reform , formerly known as outcome-based education, which is based on the belief that high expectations and setting of goals will result in success for all students. The act also requires that the schools distribute the name, home phone number and address of every student enrolled to Military Recruiters , unless the parent specifically opts out. Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 . Section on Military recruitment. (PDF - English). Retrieved 6/7/07.

The effectiveness and desirability of NCLB's measures are debatable. Up for possible reauthorization in 2007 , a new Congress is considering major revisions, as one group of 50 Republican senators and representatives introduced legislation in March 2007 to provide states much greater freedom from NCLB's controls and punishments.


OVERVIEW


Teacher quality

The No Child Left Behind act requires that (by the end of the , and (3) demonstrated subject matter expertise. The procedure for demonstrating subject matter knowledge depends on a teacher's tenure and level of instruction.

For teachers who are new to the profession (less than one year of experience):

  • Elementary teachers must pass a state test demonstrating their subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading/language arts, writing, mathematics and other areas of basic elementary school curricula.

  • Middle and high school teachers must demonstrate a high level of competency in each academic subject area they teach, such demonstration can occur either through passage of a rigorous state academic subject test or successful completion of an undergraduate major, a graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major or an advanced certification or credentialing.


Experienced teachers can satisfy the subject matter requirement in the same manner as new teachers or demonstrate subject knowledge through a state-determined high objective uniform state standard of evaluation (HOUSSE). These requirements have caused some difficulty in implementation especially for special education teachers and teachers in small rural schools who are often called upon to teach multiple grades and subjects.(nd) Teacher Quality Guidance . Department of Education website. Retrieved 3/8/07.


Student testing

The progress of all students will be measured annually for math and reading in grades 3-8 and at least once during high school. By the end of the 2007-08 school year, testing also will be conducted in science once during grades 3–5, 6–9, and 10–11.

Assessments are required in Public Schools by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 . Assessments may take any form so long as the same assessment system is used for all students in a state. Although it is not required under NCLB, states generally have chosen inexpensive multiple-choice Standardized Tests .

Some states choose to adopt tests which Statistically Norm , or rank student performance relative to each other, but this is discouraged by NCLB. Under NCLB, assessments should normally be Criterion-referenced Test s, which focus on whether a student knows the required content or can do the required skill as outlined in the state's standards. Norm-referenced tests, by contrast, merely compare the performance of students to determine where students rank compared to other students.

English language learners are generally exempted from testing during their first year in an American school. After that, they must participate in the assessment process -- either in English or in their native language, at the sole discretion of the individual state -- for the next three to five years. After five years, students are expected to be sufficiently proficient in English to take the test in English.


Scientifically based research


The phrase "scientifically based research" is found 111 times in the text of the No Child Left Behind Act.(nd) Title IX - General Provisions . Department of Education. Retrieved 6/7/07/. Schools are required to use "scientifically based research" strategies in the classroom and for professional development of staff. Research meeting this label, which includes only a small portion of the total research conducted in the field of education and related fields, must involve large quantitative studies using control groups as opposed to partially or entirely qualitative or ethnographic studies, research methodologies which may suggest different teaching and professional development strategies but that do not result in evidence demonstrating efficacy.

The No Child Left Behind Act defines the term "scientifically based research" as research that:

  • Applies rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction, and reading difficulties;

  • Uses systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;

  • Involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

  • Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide valid data across evaluators and observers and across multiple measurements and observations; and

  • Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review.


However, programs marketed as research based may not be entirely scientifically researched.

Schools can obtain information about "research-based" instructional strategies and programs from several government-funded sources, including:

  "http://wwwcampbellcollaborationorg/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Campbell Collaboration (C2) Campbell Collaboration, see [http://wwwcampbellcollaborationorg/] Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://wwwcenteroninstructionorg/indexcfm" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Center on Instruction Center on Instruction, see on Instruction US Department of Education Retrieved 6/8/07
  "http://wwwfcrrorg/fcrrreports/reportslisthtm" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Florida Center for Reading Research Florida Center for Reading Research, see [http://wwwfcrrorg/fcrrreports/reportslisthtm] Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://nreppsamhsagov" class="copylinks" target="_blank">National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, see [http://nreppsamhsagov] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://researchnichcyorg/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">NICHY Research to Practice Database NICHY Research to Practice Database, see Letter from Secretary National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://wwwpromisingpracticesnet/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Promising Practices Network Promising Practices Network, see Practices Network Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://http://wwwideapartnershiporg/rkrcfm" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Results for Kids Resources Results for Kids Resources, see [http://http://wwwideapartnershiporg/rkrcfm], IDEA Partnership Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://wwwwhatworksedgov/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">What works Clearinghouse What Works Clearinghouse, see works Clearinghouse US Department of Education Retrieved 7/22/07
  "http://wwwniflgov/cgi-bin/pfr/searchcgi/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">National Institute for Literacy National Institute for Literacy, see Institute for Literacy US Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services Retrieved 7/22/07
  Title Educational Underwriters, Inc
  Url http://educationalunderwritersorg/
  Accessdate 2007 June 27