Background information
The “No Child Left Behind Act” is a statutory provision that offers regulatory benchmarks with regard to education in the United States of America. This legal provision embodies government efforts that seek to consolidate and maximize on areas that characterize recurrent pursuit of academic excellence (Berkhart, 2012).
Through this policy, the government endeavours to guard and guarantee rights and privileges of children from poor economic and social backgrounds. This policy advocates for proper management of education systems in order to enhance performance and best practices in pedagogy (Berkhart, 2012).
The legal provision mandates all states to institute assessments that establish progress in pertinent areas that are germane to actualization of academic ideals and aspirations. In order for schools to qualify for government funding, there should be demonstrable efforts towards attainment of core goals and objectives in education. However, basic thresholds vary from one state to another (Berkhart, 2012).
The policy defines clear guidelines that relate to curriculum development and performance in education through regular assessment and appraisal. It asserts the importance of proper training and prowess for teachers and other professionals who contribute to development and actualization of academic programmes in the country (Berkhart, 2012).
The statutory provision materialized through the efforts of George W Bush during the early years of his administration. Its main architects were John Boehner, Edward Kennedy, George Miller, and Judd Gregg.
After passing through the House of Representatives and the Senate, it achieved its legal status on January 2002 after President Bush signed it into law (Berkhart, 2012). According to this law, public institutions of learning must conduct obligatory assessment procedures that seek to determine performance and competence among students. In order to achieve fairness, such assessments must subscribe to standard terms and conditions.
Through such procedural evaluation, authorities have an opportunity to determine and quantify levels of performance in institutions of learning (Berkhart, 2012). The rationale of this policy entails constant and evaluative analysis of performance in order to enhance changes that support progress and pro-active efforts with regard to realization of academic success in the country.
The policy sets attainable performance thresholds that schools must satisfy in order to qualify for funding and support by federal authorities. Whenever there is evidence of recurrent poor performance, the law outlines various institutional actions with regard to sustenance of good performance (Berkhart, 2012).
Anticipated outcomes of the policy
According to architects of this policy, there is need to ensure and guarantee consistency in performance and contribution to education in the country. Evidently, education is a key driver of progress and innovation in contemporary society. In absence of academic success, it is difficult for individuals to achieve progress and sustainable development.
Formulation and implementation of this policy envisioned several outcomes with regard to realization of aspirations that characterize education and instruction (Abernathy, 2011). The main idea and motivation of the policy is sustenance of good performance through best practices in education. It seeks to consolidate and propagate frameworks that support pursuit of excellence in education.
Architects of this policy had hoped to create a system that offers equal learning opportunities for all students regardless of social or economic orientation. The policy also enshrines various realities that manifest in institutions of learning. For instance, it interrogates the relationship between input of resources and learning outcomes. Such efforts assist authorities to decipher and demystify issues that determine performance in institutions of learning (Abernathy, 2011).
The policy seeks to encourage systemic pursuit of excellence in education and other undertakings that guide instruction within institutions of learning. The policy endeavours to ameliorate standards of learning in public schools in order to guarantee sustainability and dynamism.
Provisions of this statute are integral in propagation of special education across the country. This act encourages schools to appreciate their responsibility towards development and sustenance of thresholds of success and accountability with regard to education in the country (Abernathy, 2011). It also supports research efforts that generate relevant outcomes and realities in education.
The act also asserts the overall importance of literacy skills in development of structural frameworks that catalyze various learning initiatives. The policy emphasizes on need for skills in language comprehension and mathematics (Abernathy, 2011).
According to experts, such efforts seek to initiate and guarantee economic empowerment through acquisition of sustainable skills and competencies. The policy offers attainable goals towards restoration of education standards in the country. If well implemented, this law has immense ability to diffuse issues that impede performance and progress in institutions of learning. According to recent studies, this policy continues to record success because it covers pertinent areas of concern in education.
There is evidence of minimal progress in areas that were prime targets of the policy framework. Recent research shows numerous discrepancies with regard to realization of initial ideals and aspirations. The policy does not fully satisfy its intended outcomes because of hurdles that hamper implementation and propagation (Abernathy, 2011).
The actual outcome of this policy does not reflect various anticipated outcomes. It has not achieved a lot in promoting special education and other areas that were subject to neglect and impropriety. Although there has been considerable success in its implementation, there have been challenges that affect its efficiency in attaining goals and objectives (Abernathy, 2011).
The main challenge relates to dedication and commitment of leaders towards realization of its anticipated outcomes. There are issues that require planning in order to guarantee successful implementation of the programme. Such issues include institutional frameworks that hamper performance. Such impediments undermine quality of education because schools fail to meet their mandate in realization and actualization of academic aspirations.
However, there is ample room for improvement with regard to existent provisions that relate to creation of sustainability in education (Abernathy, 2011). Policies require proper management and goodwill in order to guarantee and ensure complete fulfilment of core ideals and aspirations. Devoid of such efforts, authorities experience hiccups that ultimately curtail actualization and propagation of policies (Abernathy, 2011).
Therefore, authorities should strive to offer support in order to ensure complete implementation of policy statements. This policy has recorded little progress in streamlining education and other aspects that relate to creation and propagation of requisite educational structural frameworks. Therefore, it is accurate to argue that this policy fails to inspire and affect change in the education sector (Abernathy, 2011).
Impact on urban child welfare families
According to experts, this policy is relevant to proper management of education systems and structural frameworks. Such programmes present opportunity for realization of various goals that characterize pursuit of academic excellence. Stakeholders and architects of such programmes should consider basic realities that manifest during implementation of policies within institutional contexts (West, 2009).
The “No Child Left Behind” policy has had numerous effects on overall disposition of education in the country. It portends improvement and growth with regard to propagation of education and other related areas of concern. Urban child welfare families face numerous challenges in their efforts to secure affordable education for their children (West, 2009).
According to experts, most urban child welfare families prioritize education because they view it as the sole gateway to success in life. This policy has created opportunities for such families because it promotes standards of education through affordability and improved performance. Such families have increased access to education through funding programmes that revolve around students’ performance.
However, there is need for parity and fairness in order to reap benefits from such efforts in institutions of learning (West, 2009). This policy offers reprieve for urban child welfare families because it enhances various opportunities that guarantee acquisition of education. They also benefit from the programme because it creates impetus for action and motivation for students in public schools. Urban child welfare families are incorporated into the education system through aspects that relate to this policy.
Feedback to this policy
Education is a very important area in development of progressive societies. Education enables proper utilization of resources in order to guarantee realization of basic societal goals and objectives. This policy advocates for proper management of education systems in order to enhance performance and best practices in pedagogy.
The legal provision mandates all states to institute assessments that seek to establish progress in pertinent areas that are germane to actualization of academic ideals and aspirations. This policy is relevant because it highlights and tackles various challenges that affect education and instruction in the United States.
Therefore, authorities should strengthen it through efforts that guarantee propagation and sustenance of best practices in education. This policy creates room for improvement in education because it enables all stakeholders to fulfil their mandate with regard to education in the country. In my opinion, this policy is integral in realization of various ideals and aspirations that characterize pursuit of excellence in education.
References
Abernathy, S. (2011). No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools. Michigan: University of Michigan Press.
Berkhart, P. (2012). No Child Left Behind: Issues and Developments. Newyork: Nova Publishers.
West, M. (2009). No Child Left Bebind: The Politics and Practice of School Accountability. Newyork: Brookings Institution Press.