No Child Left Behind

President George W. Bush originally proposed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. The law was intended to increase the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards and accountability for school districts for school districts and states, and also provide parents more flexibility in choosing school for their children. Also, No Child Left Behind reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to increase focus on reading. WHile President Bush intended good things with No Child Left Behind, it has hurt man school systems around the country, especially those with special education programs. No Child Left Behind is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve outcomes in education. States, under No Child Left Behind, are required to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if federal funding is given to those schools. No Child Left Behind, although a federal law, does not set national standards- each state sets its own standards. Many have found great success with No Child Left Behind, but many, especially students with learning disabilities, even slight ones, struggle to pass the test created by the states. No Child Left Behind focuses on math and English language skills, so studfents may lose benefits of a broad education. A benefit of No Child Left Behind is that Congress has increased funding of education by several billion dollars. The No Child Left Behind Act itself received a 40.4% increase in funding in 2001. Despite hopes for No Child Left Behind to succeed, a 2008 study "Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report" reported that the Reading First Program was ineffective. Students in twelve states, grades 1-3 were studied and the final report was completed in 2008.