The Challenges of No Child Left Behind: Understanding the Issues of Excellence, Accountability, and Choice

Over the past 25 years a major shift in political ideology has refocused educational politics from equality issues to issues relating to excellence, accountability, and choice. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) first passed in 1965. NCLB legislation is a continuation of the educational reform movement for improved academic achievement that began in 1983 with publication of a government report, A Nation at Risk, which called for higher standards to prepare students for the 21st century. Reaction to the at-risk report generated many reform initiatives resulting in the assessment, standards and accountability movement today. The organizational structure of the NCLB covers 10 separate titles. This book provides an enhanced understanding of the NCLB major features and suggests resources in the areas of: History of Accountability and Achievement; Adequate Yearly Progress; Highly-Qualified Teachers; Title I; Reading and Early Childhood; School Reform including Charters and Vouchers; Restructuring; School Finance; and High School Reform.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Changing Accountability Measures and Achievement Chapter 3 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Chapter 4 Highly-Qualified Teachers Chapter 5 Title I: Overview Chapter 6 Title I: Reading and Early Childhood Chapter 7 NCLB and School Reform: Charters and Vouchers Chapter 8 Restructuring Chapter 9 Impact of NCLB on School Finance Chapter 10 High School Reform and Other Future Trends

About the Author :
E. Jane Irons has more than 30 years experience in the field of education. She has been a mathematics teacher, elementary principal, educational diagnostician, school psychologist program director, and special education program director. Currently, she is a professor of educational leadership at Lamar University in Texas. Sandra Harris is the director of the Lamar University (TX) Center for Research and Doctoral Studies in Educational Leadership. She has been a public and private school educator for over 35 years as a K-12 teacher, administrator, and university professor.

Review :
Irons and Harris make it perfectly clear: hovering around the status quo is no longer an option for educators. Some level of accountability has always been with us, but now under the NCLB legislation, choice enters the picture. If high standards of student achievement and frequent accountability measures are not met head on, choice provides alternatives for parents and students. Say what you want about the pressures NCLB has placed on education leaders. As poignantly stated in their conclusion, Ironsand Harris align with Oliver Wendell Holmes: 'The issue is not where we stand, but the direction we are moving.' The status quo carries an anchor?innovation and reform utilize the wind?sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it. This book must reach every principal preparation program in the country.. This book provides readers with a clear synopsis of the No Child Left Behind Act. Each chapter deals with specific requirements of the law and then outlines how school districts and states are implementing the provisions. A valuable portion of the book's content is the available Internet-based resources to assist districts and states with implementing the law. This slim volume provides the reader with a clear, concise summary of the details of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The authors take a narrative rather than a judgmental approach to the subject. They provide some historical perspective for the past 30 years of school reform including the Reading First initiative, Head Start, and school readiness. The strength of this book is its scope. It provides a convenient resource of information about a wide variety of programs and practices....This book serves as an excellent compass capable of steering educators in the proper direction. Each chapter is short and written in a style that is easy to read and understand, especially for those without a background in education....This is a good book....It would be an asset to a graduate program in educational leadership that would include courses for future principals and school district administrators. This book provides, in clear and readable language, a concise summary of the landmark No Child Left Behind Act and outlines how that legislation has impacted public education at all levels. Each chapter in the book explains the requirements of the law including historical context, and then outlines what school districts and states across the country have already done to meet its goals. Finally, the chapters provide clear summaries, reflection questions, and valuable reference citations including website addresses. From concerns about equitable public school financing and the emergence of charter schools and vouchers to teacher preparation and supplemental services school districts may provide, the book gives teachers, administrators, and educational researchers the information they will need to understand the law and address its requirements. This is a useful reference tool as well as a resource for those involved in day-to-day classroom and district management. Irons and Harris make it perfectly clear: hovering around the status quo is no longer an option for educators. Some level of accountability has always been with us, but now under the NCLB legislation, choice enters the picture. If high standards of student achievement and frequent accountability measures are not met head on, choice provides alternatives for parents and students. Say what you want about the pressures NCLB has placed on education leaders. As poignantly stated in their conclusion, Irons and Harris align with Oliver Wendell Holmes: 'The issue is not where we stand, but the direction we are moving.' The status quo carries an anchor—innovation and reform utilize the wind—sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it. This book must reach every principal preparation program in the country. The book's format would make it useful for students in an educational leadership class. Each of the nine chapters begins with a quote relating to the theme of change and ends with reflection questions and web resources. The book also would be helpful to novice school board members who need to familiarize themselves with NCLB.