No Child Left Behind?: President Obama Replaces 15-Year-Old No Child Left Behind Act
Across the country, the system for public school standardized testing has changed. Signed this past December, the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is intended to improve a variety of problematic aspects of the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
The goal of NCLB was to set high achievement levels for all students around the country. Annual standardized tests were given to students to ensure effective teaching. These tests were updated every two to three years, and each time, passing scores increased. While this encouraged successful schools to challenge students, less privileged schools had issues keeping up with the higher expectations.
NCLB originally had a set schedule, dictating which grades were to take which standardized subject tests. However, this act proved overly demanding, bringing a test-driven focus to the classroom.
“This law focuses on a national goal of ensuring that all of our students graduate prepared for college and future careers,” President Barack Obama said in his speech at the signing of the ESSA on Dec. 10, 2015. “And that’s what we want every single child in America to have. We just want to give them a chance.”
With the ESSA, schools now have more flexibility in scheduling tests. Teachers can now break down tests into smaller sections. This way, they can focus their curriculum on how they want to teach their students.
NCLB proved to be a hassle, especially with already high-achieving schools. Principal Mitzi Cress disliked certain aspects of the act, her main problems being the unrealistic standards and the overemphasis on tests rather than learning.
“It isn’t all about taking a test in life,” Cress said. “[The world] needs people who can think, creative thinkers, communicating, working together and collaborating.”
Cress is also excited for the new freedom teachers will have in teaching their curriculum. Because teachers no longer have to worry about adhering to specific topics on standardized testing,
they will be able to create more creative, customized curricula for their students.
“Teachers will be giving you more than, ‘We must get through this because you’re going to be tested on this,’” Cress said.
Some critics find the switch from NCLB to ESSA unnecessary. Members of the public are unhappy with the cost of the change, as NCLB cost $23 billion, while ESSA will cost $24.9 billion. Groups argued that the new act will simply make conditions easier for minorities to graduate. Another concern is the possibility that students will not get a proper education since teachers will not be motivated to cover necessary material.
While its impact may not be as prominent in a wealthier district such as PVPUSD, the act is expected to improve performance of less fortunate districts. Cress believes the switch to ESSA will
prove successful.
“The fabric of this country is not made of just one group’s success,” Cress said. “We are only as good as every child being educated. That’s why more money will have to go in that direction and more attention [will need to be focused] so that those students can change this cycle of failure.”
