No Child Left Behind Act - Schools Must Measure Student Progress Every Year & Report Results to Parents

Schools Must Measure Student Progress Every Year & Report Results to Parents

Note: Congress has reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the statute formerly known as No Child Left Behind. The new statute, Every Student Succeeds Act, was signed into law by President Obama on December 10, 2015.

**********

On July 24, 2002, Secretary Rod Paige sent a letter to state and local education leaders throughout the nation about the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Each Child's Progress Must Be Measured Every Year

No Child Left Behind requires that each child and each group of children (broken out by race, income level, special education status, and English proficiency) have their progress measured every year.

Results will be reported to parents for each child and to the public for each group.

Schools Accountable for Achievement

The new law will ensure that schools are held accountable for the achievement of all students. It sets a new standard for measuring achievement and has real consequences for schools that fail to make progress over time.

"Ensuring that schools are held accountable for all students meeting state standards is central to this bipartisan law's goal of ensuring that no child is left behind," said Paige. "Under this historic law, schools must measure and report on overall student performance and the achievement of various groups of students. With this level of diagnosis and the valuable information state and local leaders, parents and others will soon have, we can all work together to ensure that all students succeed and that the achievement gap is closed, once and for all."

States & Districts Have More Flexibility

The new law gives states and school districts significant flexibility in how they tailor resources and interventions to the needs of schools in need of improvement.

"States do not have to start from square one; this law builds on the accountability systems that states have been developing since or before the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act," said Paige. "NCLB sets the minimum requirements for statewide accountability systems, and states will be able to build upon the new requirements to enhance their current systems."

The new definition of AYP will help states and districts accurately identify which schools need improvement and where they should focus their resources beginning in the 2003-04 school year.

The U. S. Department of Education expects to issue draft regulations in the very near future and also related guidance that will help states and school districts implement NCLB.

The No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind Act will have a big impact on your child's education. You need to learn about this new law so we collected resources to help you get started.

A Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind. Learn about new requirements for certification of teachers and paraprofessionals; school and school district report cards; reading grants; annual testing in math and reading; new options for parents including transfers from failing schools and free supplemental services - tutoring, after-school programs and summer school. Printer-friendly version of A Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind Act - What Does It Mean to You? Comprehensive article about the No Child Left Behind Act; includes links to brochures and fact sheets.

Facts About Teacher Training & Certification: Are We Destroying the Future, One Child at a Time?" we look at teacher quality, training and certification. Learn about the findings of the Teacher Quality Report, check your state's pass rates for teachers, and learn more about the No Child Left Behind Act.

Kids from 8,652 Failing Schools Can Transfer This Fall - Is Your Child's School on "The List"? This fall, students in more than 8,600 schools will be able to attend a higher-performing school in their district because they attend low performing / failing schools. Does your child attend a failing school? To learn about failing schools and parent options, read this news release from the U. S. Department of Education. The release includes a table of failing schools by state.

From U. S. Department of Education
(**** NOTE: The US Dept of Ed has moved or deleted a number of these links. ****)

Download Fact Sheets: These fact sheets provide important information - and it's hard for the school to argue with the U. S. Department of Education.

Facts About Measuring Progress: For too long, America's education system has not been accountable for its results. Too many children have been locked in failing schools and left behind.

Facts About Reading Achievement: More than 60% of 12th grade students are not proficient readers - they do not have the reading skills they need in life. NCLB Act requires schools to provide teachers with up-to-date information about how to use scientific-based research to teach reading and to actually use these methods and related material in the classroom.

Facts About Good Teachers: Nothing is more important to a child's success in school than finding well-prepared teachers. But millions of children do not have the benefit of a well-prepared teacher in their classrooms.

NCLB FAQs

No Child Left Behind Electronic Newsletter: Subscribe to this newsletter, get information and updates about the No Child Left Behind Act.

Parent's Tool Box includes brochures and information that you can receive from the U. S. Department of Education.


COVID-19 Law Advocacy Topics A-Z Training Wrights' Blog Wrightslaw Store Yellow Pages for Kids