Nclbpp

Editor's Notes

• #3: No Child left behind was passed by President George W. Bush in 2001 immediately after taking office. The purposes of this act was to standardize education in making measurable basic skills tests and rating school based on those test scores. The school funding depending on what these test scores looked like. This act also allowed for students who are attending lower rated schools to transfer to higher rated schools not within their district.
• #4: A renovation was needed in the education system for the low income schools and the gap that keeps getting bigger between them and higher income schools. This act was hoped to improve on the quality of schools by changing the qualities of the teachers and programs running the schools. More programs were installed for more parent involvement, professional development opportunities, and early childhood reading programs, to name a few.
• #5: After this was introduced the test scores across the country did improve right away. The obvious problems with this act arose almost immediately after. Teachers started to direct more time to preparing the kids for this test then teaching them more in depth on the curriculum. It is hard to say that every school in every state must take this same test at the same time in certain conditions when schools’ environments' can be polar-opposites.
• #6: The rating of these schools that are being based on the standardized tests are being question on whether they are handicap friendly. Students with disabilities had a hard time getting the tests the way they needed because these standardized tests were so particular on how to take them and what is not allowed. Some of these students had to take zeros on these tests because of it. English speakers didn’t have a problem with the tests, but for kids where English isn’t there first language or they didn’t speak it at all yet, had a tough time getting through these tests due to the fact that the tests were only allowed to be given in English.
• #7: The No Child Left Behind was meant to make schooling better for the students and future students, but these tests started at very young ages. Expecting students to take gruelingly long tests based on information that has been drilled into their minds for the past 2 weeks, is just asking for trouble. Young students have a hard time sitting still to begin with, asking them to test for more then 30 mins is a nearly impossible for them to do their best. But drilling the students to prepare them to test doesn’t accurately show the students’ actual knowledge on the subjects. The students won’t be able to retain that information.
• #8: Obama has said that he is going to address the No Child Left Behind act and revise it to improve the quarks that he, and the rest of the nation, are feeling. He says he plans on doing little changes to what he feels would be appropriate, but not do anything drastic. Though they do plan on taking the rating system away from schools, saying it doesn’t take into account the small details of different school and needs more factors to decide something like that. He also plans on rewarding schools who are really improving instead of saying that they still aren’t good enough.
• #9: Obama plans on taking away the requirement of levels of reading and math but need to be prepared for future schooling. The tests rather would indicate the students academic growth and no matter where they start from. Obama plans on creating programs that will encourage more parent involvement in the schools and with the students. Also a program for future career development for students thinking college isn’t what they want.
• #10: Obama also has a plan for the preschools across the nation. He feels that they are the back-bone to all schooling and help mold the brain for the learning to come. Quoting President Obama“Research shows that early experiences shape whether a child's brain develops strong skills for future learning, behavior and success. Without a strong base on which to build, children, particularly disadvantaged children, will be behind long before they reach kindergarten,” fromeducation.comObama plans on adding funding to help make this happen.
• #11: No child left behind was a good idea, because change did need to happen. There are many things that should be altered before they are able to achieve what they were ultimately aiming for. Everything that President Obama has proposed and said that he was working on changing should help make most of those necessary changes. The education system is working but not to the standards that many americans would like. I think that when President Obama does start to push for the changes we will see a shift in school qualities and graduation rates. Some of these changes will be good for upcoming teachers, but also challenging as the changes are happening.