What is NCLB (No Child Left Behind)?
- Standards based education reform based on standards and standardized testing. Standards and tests were set by states. (This is changing as states adopt the National Core Standards)
- Considered to be "high-stakes" testing because if schools did not show student improvement federal funding could be jeopardized as well as other punitive measures.
General Goals of Education for the 21st Century
1. Basic skills mastery. This includes general content and is relevant to job preparation at all levels.
2. Critical thinking
3. Social skills and collaboration among diverse audience.
4. Development of a work ethic.
The testing requirements of NCLB have led to increased teaching time devoted to reading and mathematics. There have been very little improvements in reading and modest improvements in mathematics. Both subjects are frequently considered to be very dull and tedious with drill and kill approaches according to research with both students and teachers disliking them. Education time for science, social studies, art, music, PE, recess has dropped or even been eliminated. These changes are more pronounced in schools with a higher poverty level.
Student performance on standardized tests does not measure critical thinking skills. In fact, it's rarely taught. Project-based, inquiry-based, and problem- based collaborative projects are often not part of the curriculum. An emphasis on test scores has been shown to increase drop-out rates rather than increase a work ethic.
