Hmmm...no child left behind?

Question

In the news recently its been discussing the steady decline of sufficient test scores that are demanded of teachers and instructors to get out of their students. That is because No Child Left Behind, is a bunch of c**p and is a failure. Does anyone else see this pattern?

Answer 1

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is not about educating our children ... it is not an educational act with a goal of ensuring students are equipped with the skill sets needed for being independnet learners, active participants in their life (civic, earning a living, etc), and engaging the world beyond their own doorsteps.

This act was crafted and implemented by politicians and lawyers -not educators, learning theorists, or brain-researchers- and the failings of this myopic group were recognized immediately ... and still, over six years later, the leaders of our educational community, beginning with Ms. Spellings and our Congress, choose to "stay the course."  That arrogant, unexamined stance results in even more children being left behind than before the program was officially begun back in 2002.

The obvious losers are the students -our children.  Assigned -by law, noless- to have their self-worth and future relegated to standardized testing (in spite of all the empirical evidence indicating these tests are not measurements of anything but a moment in time), the educational system has embraced an elitist, divisive system of furthering the gap between those who can and those who struggle and, in my opinion only, reinforcing the foundation of a system of classism that has existed since 1776.

At the same time, our teachers continue to lose ground to the efficacy of their profession as they, by law, are compelled by principals and supers to "increase the scores" (aka, teach-to-the-tests) in order to get people (feds and state) off their backs.  And, in what only can be considered as a model of prostitution, these test scores are related to funding -thereby furthering the strength of the directive to do things the way of NCLB.

Oh my, what have we become as a nation when we allow adults with hidden agendas and self-serving ideologies to craft and enact the laws that tie the hands of our children -and our teachers?  One thing is for sure, we have not become a better democracy and NCLB represents yet another act of government (legislated enforcement) where the voice of the people has been silenced.

Answer 2

Oh yes in so many ways, I agree with you, and understand.  I took a course on this actually, and the no child left behind act is horrible in so many ways.  This act punishes everyone.  If kids don't do well enough on the tests then they won't be able to graduate from high school.  They have three strikes from when they first take the test.  Which starts either at K or first grade.  And is just as bad for the community and the teachers as well.

Answer 3

It's just another useless program that deflects the blame from the parents (aka registered voters).

Answer 4

CURIOSITAS49 really hit the nail on the head!!

The bottom line of NCLB is MONEY and NOT the childs education.

I wonder, WHAT do the schools DO with all this money?? NOTHING is changing, the students are NOT doing any better.

HOW much money does it take to spoon feed information into students like robots so they can memorize this information, so they can pass the state tests

SO THE SCHOOL CAN GET MORE MONEY!!?

Teachers do not TEACH anymore, students do not LEARN anymore. Someone here wrote that they are lowering teh bar so the kids can pass.

This is the truth. Kids think they are doing well by passing these tests, not realizing it's 'baby work' and/or 'easy as pie' as they would call it.

Furthermore, schools are doing sleazy things to get that money. It has all been in the news -

1. Paying kids to make good grades

2. not counting the lowest state scores so they can get that money

3. Changing test answers and/or test scores to show the student is passing so they can get that money

4. Some schools have the lowest performing kids not take the test at all.

5. Offer after school tutoring for the kids who don't pass the state tests DISGUISED as 'helping' the child.

It took 2 yrs to get the truth  about that one out of my school.

I have read different news reports stating that since these tests focus on math and reading only, schools are going to do away with all other subjects.  WTF ?!?!?!

WE as TAXPAYERS are paying these CREEPS to do this to OUR OWN CHILDREN! They are using OUR own  money to do this to OUR children!!

These kids are the future of our country. They are being taught to be mindless robots, not knowing how to learn, not learning how to figure things out on their own.

THey will grow up mindless robots that can't do a THING until someone else comes along and tells them what to THINK and what to DO!

HITLER,, ANYONE?!?!

COMMUNISM, HERE WE COME !!

Answer 5

sometimes you have to leave someone behind so the rest can be successful...test scores do not indicate learning/intelligence...i have kids in my class that have gotten 4s on the assessments (4 being the best 1 being the worst) who still can't write a coherent sentence, think logically or critically...they don't understand what they are learning or why...they learn how to pass the test, then think they are smart because they answered 75% of the questions correctly yet received a perfect score as a grade because the scoring norms are so wide to ensure that anybody with 1/2 a brain can pass...this doesn't even take into account the kids who take the test in 5 mins. because they know pass or fail they are going to the next grade...it has become a big game that everyone involved is losing...