What is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001?

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and expands on major reforms, particularly in the areas of state academic standards, assessment, accountability, and school improvement. The new federal law requires states to develop assessments linked to these standards for all students. The largest single program in NCLB is Title I, Part A, which provides each local educational agency (LEA), or school district, with additional resources to help improve instruction in high-poverty schools and ensure that poor and minority children have the same opportunity as other children to meet challenging State academic standards.

This emphasis on closing the achievement gap requires specific standards for teachers in order to ensure that individuals who work with Title I students are designated as highly qualified.

NCLB sets out several key performance goals for states:

• All students will be taught by highly qualified teachers by the end of the 2005-06 school year

• All students will attain “proficiency” in reading and mathematics by 2014, including students with disabilities and English learners

• All English learners will become proficient in English

• All students will learn in schools that are safe and drug free

• All students will graduate from high school.