Profiles 2001 Progressing in Preparation for May Release By Janet Johnson Informational Representative, Office of Accountability January 18, 2002 Source: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/esea/index.html.   President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) into law on January 8, 2002, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) enacted in 1965. The NCLB Act is a broad reformation that focuses on improving the performance of elementary and secondary schools while attempting to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. There are four basic principals to the NCLB Act: Stronger Accountability for Results Assessments will be created in each state that measure children's knowledge in reading and math in grades 3 through 8. Tests will be administered to each child every year to measure progress and achievement. The results will be made available in annual report cards on school performance and statewide progress so that parents, citizens, educators, administrators, and policymakers will have data regarding the quality of schools, qualifications of teachers, and progress in key subjects. More Flexibility for States, School Districts, and Schools In order to reduce federal red tape and encourage local control, the NCLB Act reduces the number of ESEA programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Most school districts will be offered the opportunity to transfer half of the federal revenues received among many different education programs without separate approval. It will also give administrators in rural schools and districts more flexibility in designating federal funds. Additional Options for Parents and Students The NCLB Act offers several immediate opportunities for parents with children trapped in failing schools. When a school is identified as failing, parents would be allowed to transfer the student to a better public or charter school. More support for creating new charter schools will be provided and federal Title I funds will be available for supplemental services such as tutoring and summer school for children in failing schools. Emphasis on Reading Instruction Federal funding will be significantly increased to ensure that every child can read by the end of the third grade. The NCLB Act will make it easier for local schools to recruit and retain good teachers. It also focuses support on limited English proficient (LEP) students to learn as quickly and effectively as possible and requires each state to participate in fourth- and eighth- grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) testing every other year in reading and math. The NCLB Act redefines the federal role in K-12 education to help improve the academic achievement of all students in America. To find out more about this legislation, visit the U.S. Department of Education at http://www.ed.gov or the home page for the No Child Left Behind Act at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/esea/index.html.