NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: A DISCUSSION

What is the Impact of No Child Left Behind for Students with Disabilities? A Briefly Discussion



What is the Impact of No Child Left Behind for Students with Disabilities? A Briefly Discussion

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) passed by Congress in 1965, the largest federal program supporting elementary and secondary education in the nation. ESEA required states to set content and performance standards for K-12 schools, and “make adequate yearly progress.” NCLB builds on ESEA, and expands the accountability provisions in the previous reauthorization of ESEA approved by Congress, the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994 (Cawthon, 2007).

NCLB was built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing “what works” based on scientific research (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a). This law reflected a major expansion of the federal role in education especially for the students with disabilities.

NCLB has significantly impacted the students with disabilities. States were required to implement annual assessments in reading and mathematics at least once in each of three grade spans: 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12. Assessments must be aligned with challenging state content and achievement standards. States must provide for the participation of all students, including students with disabilities and limited English proficient students (LEP). LEP students could be exempted from testing for up to 2 years.

NCLB has expanded federally mandated testing requirements to cover all K-12 public school students, including those attending public charter schools (Wenning et al., 2005) and the specific student subgroups: economically disadvantaged students; students with disabilities; students with LEP; major racial/ethnic groups; and gender. The participation and subgroup criteria are a “centerpiece ...