What are some of the unintended consequences of The No Child Left Behind Act signed into law in 2001?

Answer 1

What I will state is not unintended consequences of NCLB but a deliberate attempt to undermne public education. (I have been a public high school English teacher for nine years, so I know what I am talking about)

California, where I teach, has some of the strongest academic standards in the nation. When I first saw them in 1998, I thought, "No way! These students aren't going to be able to master these." Of course, they are! Not everyone is at the same place in attaining these high standards, but the kids definitely are learning and the quality of work is much higher than it used to be. And it isn't as if I teach to the test. If the test tests things that are important to know and skills important to have, then those are the things I am going to teach. It doesn't mean that I as a teacher have to kill them with worksheets and book work. There are more interesting things to do.

These standards are tested annually by the state in what's called the California State Standards test. No longer does the state use any national "norm" test but its own test. Then the results come out in October and the state issues its API score for every school in the state. (API is Academic Performance Index, and the number is based on an extremely complex formulas which I won't attempt to explain.) These results are published in the newspaper and on local televison. My school has gone from 525 to 725 in four years; our ultimate goal is 800, which the state deems to be proficient.

Now here's where NCLB gets into the act - first of all, it expects that all children, including special ed kids, will be labeled proficient by the year 2014. That is admirable, but how do you get a kid who has an IQ of 80 to be proficient. That is unreasonable. It also expects that all schools make an annual yearly progress (the so called AYP) for all the various student groups within their school, which is admirable, too. But if one group doesn't meet a certain target, the entire school fails. There is no credit for doing the positive things, only punitive consequences if all goals are not met.

So in California, we have the specter of some schools being called proficient and scoring every well and failing under the federal definition. One way to fail the feds' test is to not test enough kids.

If an individual school continues to not meet specified targets, it is sanctioned. After about four years of this, and the state could come in and take over the school; in my area, there are a dozen schools facing this very prospect.

Answer 2

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Please excuse me while I catch my breath... *cough* OK. Well, to put it nicely, it's an unmitigated disaster. It hasn't raised standards - it's lowered them drastically. A student hasn't been in school for most of the year, or is failing every subject? Oh well, shove him on to the next grade level, and let that teacher deal with him. That poor student will struggle (and probably be a behavior problem to distract the teacher from his lack of skill), but at least he'll be with his friends. You wouldn't want to hurt the student's psyche, or make idiots think it's the school's fault the student is failing... Instead of letting teachers do their jobs correctly, making sure students are truly learning what they need to before going up a grade level, the emphasis is on passing all students. It's all about standardized tests; "teach for the test", get great stats published in the paper, and all is good. Who cares about anything else? The No Child Left Behind Act is a bunch of BS... If you want real answers to this question from the people this crappy Act impacts on a daily basis, try asking in the "Teaching" section. Rainmaker - The NEA is getting money? Since when? Where is that money, then, in the schools? As a side note, if you really think the Michigan Lottery's proceeds go to the schools, I have a bridge to Canada to sell you - I'll throw in the matching tunnel for free. : ( Jeeper - Of course teachers are worried about looking bad! Imagine you've been teaching for 30 years, done an excellent job the entire time, and no one can criticize how good you are. You teach students the practical skills they need, and tests are just to check that skill - not the emphasis. Then, in comes NCLB - all that skill and experience is thrown out the window. You'd better retire, adapt to the new regime/standards, or accept being fired for incompetence... The way schools are now, the good teachers are being driven off and the new teachers are all brain-washed into believing NCLB is the most wonderful thing since sliced bread. It's not a matter of firing the "unethical" teachers/administrators. Eh, call me bitter and give me thumbs-downs. This is the reality of the situation; ask around instead of unquestioningly believing what the government or the news feeds you.

Answer 3

I have to go to bed so do not have the time to point out how ridiculous this publicity stunt has become. It sounded good, didn't it? The children who have been harmed by this are now entering their mid-teens and we ALL are going to pay for it all over again. (As they are now holding up drug and convenience stores just to live.)
I have worked with abused and neglected children for years. When this crap legislation was pushed through (to make a Dem look good) no one, apparently, considered the long-term consequences. FORCING children to leave loving, foster homes because they'd been there longer than some bean counter in D.C. thought they should have been? Yeah, right.
Have you looked at your kid's curriculum lately? Have they let you? Ask and see what happens.
I'm luckier than most because I'm part of "the system" - but now, instead of being proud of being able to HELP children - I'm embarassed. I just get to know more. Everyone from the Judges to the kids are effected - most negatively. I don't know a single Court Officer, cop, teacher, Guidance Counselor or fellow Prosecutor who sees any good in forcing kids out of loving homes and out of school 'cause they "don't measure up" or have "aged out."
Sorry - I HATE IT !!! Thanks Bill and Hillary. We can't all afford The Cathedral Schooll.

Answer 4

Student dropout rate is decreasing, so those that would usually drop out are causing problems. They're escalating the problems schools already have and they're introducing all new problems for schools to learn how to deal with.

School administrations are beginning to go over the top with ridiculous rules like T-Shirts aren't allowed to be longer than your wrists when rested at your sides and they are attempting to take away freedom of expression by trying to pass rules like hair not allowed to be died any unnatural colors. (It'll be chaos if my school succeeds in passing that rule.)

Answer 5

Learning is out - teaching to the test is in.
Creativity is out - trapped by the agenda is in.

Public schools are made to look worse than they are (and they are worse than they were) because the ultimate goal is to show that government should fund private schools with public funds & forget about the public schools. And it seems to be working.

Answer 6

Students are being tested to death...
Unfunded mandates...
Increased spending on special education students which leaves less $$$ for other spending...
A move towards simply "teaching to the test"...

I could go on and on, but I have get some sleep before I go into school tomorrow to try to teach my kids what they need to know to do well on their standardized tests!!!

Man, I long for the days when I could actually just teach.

Answer 7

the mandate included recruiters for the military (Iraq war) being allowed on school campuses,, some have molested vulnerable teenagers,, Bush didn't want to leave any child left behind that could be sexually exploited

Answer 8

the smart, gifted kids get left behind be having to wait for the others