The Peculiar Politics of No Child Left Behind
Ram Bhagat Ingrid Grant William Noel Damon RichardsonSherry Wharton -Carey
EDLP 704 Article Analysis
February 15, 2012
“When it comes to the education of our children…failure is not an option.”
President George W. Bush
The Four Goals of No Child Left Behind
1• Closing the Achievement Gap
2• Improving Teacher Quality
3• 100% Proficiency for all students in reading and
math by 2014
4• Improving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
Theory Behind NCLB
Outcome Based
Standard Based
Educational Reform
Summary of Article
• Support and opposition narrowing• Concluded the implementation of the law’s consequences, rather
than knowledge, may be fueling the opposition to NCLB.
Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup
• Support and opposition narrowing• Data showed people who knew about NCLB increased from 31% to
61% • As people learn about NCLB the want to learn more• Republicans favor more than Democrats• Rural residents favor more than Urban/Suburban
Educational Testing Services
National Polling Data2001-2005
Summary of Article
Northern States
Pioneers in creating common schools in the late 19th century
Massachusetts established state
board in 1837, schools already
operating for 200 years
Belief in local control bottom up origin of
school system
Southern States
Publically financed common schools
during Reconstruction
Most educational matters comes from
the state level
NCLB Federal
Establishes overall policy and framework goals and procedures
Intrusive for what has been considered state
terrain
NCLB State
Allowed latitude in implementation
State Politics
ConclusionState and Local Opposing
Political Culture
• Geography Matters• Blue States are more resistant• Red states more supportive based on the 2000 & 2004 Presidential Race
Student Achievement
• States at-risk of experiencing sanctions not complaining• High performing states have little to lose• Offers states powerful interventions to use for failing schools
Demographics Characteristics
• States with large African American populations support• States with large Hispanic populations do not support
Resources
• States receiving less than 8.3% of federal funds likely to reject• Southern states are more dependent on the resources more students receiving Title I
service
Rigor of Research
.
\
Demographic Breakdowns of Public Opinion on NCLB
Democrat
Independent
Republican
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
By Political Affiliation Favorable Unfavorable
White
Black
Hispanic
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
By Race Favorable Unfavorable
Urban
Suburban
Rural
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
By Geography of ResidenceFavorable Unfavorable
< $25K
$25K - $50K
$50K - $75K
> $75K
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
By Income Range Favorable Unfavorable
2003 2004 20050
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
69
56
45
1824 28
1320
27
Effects of Increasing Knowledge of NCLB Over Time
Don't Know Enough Positive Negative
Perc
ent R
espo
ndin
g
NCLB Policy
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Allocated Money to low-income school to acquire personnel and
materials
Redistributive Policy
No Child Left Behind
Incentive Driven by Test Scores
Distributive, Regulatory, and Redistributive Policy
Strategies Promoting Support
.
Resources are viewed as incentives
More money produces better education
High poverty school need more money. Additional resources allocated to low income schools
NCLB Goal #1: Make schools more equitable
NCLB Goal #2: Improve the education of children of poor families
Benefits of Policy
Accountability
Closing Achievement Gap
Highly Qualified Teachers
Raise Minority Test Scores
AYP/Options
Lower Student
Standards
• Lack of funding• Change in curriculum
Decrease in Teacher Quality
• Good teachers leaving ‘Failing’ schools• Lesser qualified teachers replace them
Students left Behind
• Small ‘N’ number• Expelled students• ELL students
Consequences/Disadvantages
Applicable to Role as a Leader
The notion of accountability is well supported, but educators become afraid of "high-stakes" testing.
The fear of failure leads to : * breech of integrity *loss of effective teachers
Sanctions are punitive in nature.
Great teachers feel that their creativity is stifled
Equity doesn’t mean fair.
NOTION OF DOING MORE WITH LESS!!!
Reference