No Child Left Behind Policy Analysis Paper
No Child Left Behind Policy Analysis Paper
M. Deborah Morris
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
November 19, 2009
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law in January, 2002 by President George W. Bush. On the surface, because of bipartisan support, the act brought about, for the first time, surveillance measures to ensure that all school-aged children would receive a free, quality, public education. When researched historically we see the pattern that has emerged through policy and politics that has brought about NCLB. As a result of the acceptance of NCLB, we have created a way of viewing success in education by standardized testing, a monster in and of itself in it’s cost and ability to quantify the successful components of a good liberal education. It is necessary to understand how the Act came about, how it is being implemented, and the problems that have ensued to gain a good perspective about the philosophy and policies of the NCLB. George Bush did not just wake up one morning, turn to Laura and say, “I got a good education and so did you, wouldn’t it be great if every school child in this country could get what we got?” The Massachusetts Law of 1642 stated as it’s goal that all school-aged children would attend school in order to learn to read and write (Hlebowitsh, 2001). The real object of the law was to educate the male children of the wealthy (Mondale, “The Common School, “ 2001). It was believed by church leaders and politicians that men would need to be able to read the Bible and political documents. Only large towns had a tax base, and so many children did not have access to public schools. Education grew in the U.S. but still violated the Declaration of Independence and Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution by denying minorities their civil rights, which included the right to a free quality public education. Many people believe that Brown v. Board of Education, that demanded that minorities receive
M. Deborah Morris
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
November 19, 2009
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law in January, 2002 by President George W. Bush. On the surface, because of bipartisan support, the act brought about, for the first time, surveillance measures to ensure that all school-aged children would receive a free, quality, public education. When researched historically we see the pattern that has emerged through policy and politics that has brought about NCLB. As a result of the acceptance of NCLB, we have created a way of viewing success in education by standardized testing, a monster in and of itself in it’s cost and ability to quantify the successful components of a good liberal education. It is necessary to understand how the Act came about, how it is being implemented, and the problems that have ensued to gain a good perspective about the philosophy and policies of the NCLB. George Bush did not just wake up one morning, turn to Laura and say, “I got a good education and so did you, wouldn’t it be great if every school child in this country could get what we got?” The Massachusetts Law of 1642 stated as it’s goal that all school-aged children would attend school in order to learn to read and write (Hlebowitsh, 2001). The real object of the law was to educate the male children of the wealthy (Mondale, “The Common School, “ 2001). It was believed by church leaders and politicians that men would need to be able to read the Bible and political documents. Only large towns had a tax base, and so many children did not have access to public schools. Education grew in the U.S. but still violated the Declaration of Independence and Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution by denying minorities their civil rights, which included the right to a free quality public education. Many people believe that Brown v. Board of Education, that demanded that minorities receive