Congress hopes to finish work on the reauthorization of the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB) before the presidential primary season begins
in January 2008, though it is unclear whether that deadline will be
met. The six-year-old law was originally passed by Congress with strong
bipartisan support, but now faces opposition from both the right and
the left. Can the law be saved? The editors of Education Next join in
the debate on NCLB’s future, assessing the law’s shortcomings and
prescribing what Congress should do to avert a disaster.
Crash Course
Frederick Hess and Chester Finn argue that NCLB was bound to crash and
burn, since the machinery of the law is not powered by a coherent model of
educational change or a sound view of the federal role in education.
A Lens That Distorts
Paul Peterson defends NCLB-style accountability but challenges Congress
to fix the measuring stick used to evaluate schools.
Testing the Limits of NCLB
The real problem with NCLB, says Michael Petrilli, is that it wrongly assumes
the federal government can force recalcitrant states and school districts to
do their job well.
Basically a Good Model
NCLB is a groundbreaking civil rights law that has already improved the
nation’s schools, counters Dianne Piché, who offers a vigorous defense
of the statute.
Congress hopes to finish work on the reauthorization of the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB) before the presidential primary season begins
in January 2008, though it is unclear whether that deadline will be
met. The six-year-old law was originally passed by Congress with strong
bipartisan support, but now faces opposition from both the right and
the left. Can the law be saved? The editors of Education Next join in
the debate on NCLB’s future, assessing the law’s shortcomings and
prescribing what Congress should do to avert a disaster.
