NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND HB 1178: KEY ISSUES

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a reauthorization of President Lyndon Johnson’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 with the concepts identified as accountability for results, research-based education programs, increased parental option, and expanded local control and flexibility (McColl, 2005, p. 4). The NCLB Act was signed into law by President Bush in 2002 and referred to as ‘the cornerstone’ of his administration. NCLB is considered a complex law about federal support for education from kindergarten through 12th grade (The Importance, 2). The purpose of NCLB is to ensure all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. NCLB sets extensive requirements for states including establishing an accountability system and staffing schools with high-quality professionals (McColl, 2005, p. 4).

In addition to being confused over exactly what was expected of them in order to facilitate compliance with the NCLB Act, the states did not know how much money they would receive in exchange for meeting all the identified conditions. As is true with most contracts, participants want to know what they will get in return for meeting the conditions; however, the only thing clear with the NCLB Act is that authorization levels do not guarantee any particular amount of funding (McColl, 2005, p. 6). The difference between authorization levels and actual funding has resulted in bipartisan diversity as Democrats tend to criticize the President for failing to fully fund the NCLB and to honor promises made to schools; while counterparts contend it is a mistake to use authorization levels as benchmarks for comparison and emphasis should be on actual funding increases (McColl, 2005, p. 6).

In the state of Georgia HB 1178 is a bill that enacts the “A Plus Education Reform Act 2000”; to provide for comprehensive reform of delivery of education services at pre-kindergarten through post-secondary level (HB 1187, 2000, p.1). Counselors would need to implement a comprehensive guidance program fully. The jobs that many counselors are doing now would interfere with the school ability to conform to the changes the government has made law.

“No child left behind” are beautiful words but can such a thing actually be achieved? The government chooses to reward only the schools that pass the synthetic mark. The primary goal of schools has changes; these institutions of development, understanding and thought now almost completely focus on passing a government approved exam rather than the complete didactic development of the student. When schools don’t pass, some schools may have no other choice but to close the doors.

HB 1187 – A Plus Education Reform Act of 2000. Retrieved on November 15, 2007 from http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/1999_00
/leg/fulltext/lc271066_ec.htm McColl, Ann (2005). Has “no child” left behind the constitution? The Education Digest 71(1), 4-13. The Importance of No Child Left Behind. Retrieved on November 15, 2007 from www.ed.gov

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