An Examination of the No Child Left Behind Act

Abstract

In an effort to provide a highly skilled future workforce and assure a fair and just education for all, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was enacted. This thesis project is an analytical review of the history and implementation of this controversial law and its impact on the educational system in America. Since the NCLB is a re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, discussion includes the origins of the legislation, its benefits and challenges, as well as suggestions for improvement of this educational concept. Because of the proximity of this research to the 2008 US presidential campaign, a section of the project is devoted to the perspectives and opinions of presidential candidates, specifically, Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton, on the Democrat side, and Mike Huckabee and John McCain, on the Republican. Conclusions drawn from this research project suggest the noble intentions of the NCLB legislation are challenging to apply in reality, that amendments to the law need consideration, and that the end goal of a fair and just education is worthy of the efforts required.