NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
I. Introduction 1... The role of education in society: a. education for Americans; b. the background of No Child Left Behind Act. II.
Main Part 1. No Child Left Behind Act a. financial support to students; b. main tasks of the Act; c. Early learning; d. opportunities for teachers; e.
problems with the Act. III. Conclusion 1. Advantages of the Act No child is left behind For a long time education has been one of the main principles of a democratic society.
Educational problems were number one for American government. The principals on which education was based in America were signed in the Constitution. John Adams said, Education for every class and rank of people down to the lowest and the poorest. It proves that from the very beginning education in the country is considered to be for all. The increase of the number of educated people leads to the growth of a countrys economy. Education is closely connected with political, economical and cultural life of a country.
So, education and the problems, it had faced, changed with the development of the state. "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. (Thomas Jefferson, 1816) No Child Left Behind Act was adopted taking into account an experience of previous generations. 50 years ago Brown v. Board of Education case became the first serious decision about education. The U. S. Supreme Court agreed that separate but equal doctrine was not constitutional and racial segregation in public schools were abolished. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed; and a year later Elementary and Secondary Education Act was adopted.
The Education Act was based on the principles of free education for all American citizens. But with the development of the society the Act was unable to fulfill new tasks that the state had faced. Having examined the results from different sources, American government came to conclusion that a lot of students were left behind. They did not have an access to knowledge of good level.
The other problem was that the great progress of the 21 st century demanded highly qualified workers. But a lot of school leavers did not satisfy the level of competitiveness in the global economy. Upon graduating from high school, few students have acquired the math and science skills necessary to compete in the knowledge - based economy. (3: 12) There was another problem. The level of knowledge in primary schools was on a low level. Almost 70 percent of children could not read at a basic level. Nearly one third of school seniors needed a recurring course that would help them to start regular college level courses.
Most of all the federal government has been influenced strongly on Americans education since 1965. Hundreds of educational programs were created by Congress. Those programs were spread across 39 federal agencies. They cost a great sum of money, about $ 120 billion a year. But the programs did not take into account local needs.
Thats why they were called program for every problem." The federal government should be a linking part between Congress and local officials. But it did not fulfill its tasks. Every year billions of dollars were spent on educational programs but there were no results. The problems between rich and poor, majority and minority, healthy and children with disabilities were growing wider. The federal government was partly to blame for failure in the education system.
It became clear that federal involvement in education was inefficient. It was evident that national system of education had to be changed. Education has always been very important in America. It was a part of the American Dream.
And, most of all, it was necessary for the society, because educated people have more opportunity to get good job. It would cause diminishing of poverty and crime; and prosperity of the nation. America needed a new decision. The old system should be changed. In January 2001, only 11 states were satisfied with previous Federal education accountability standards. On January 8, 2002, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 (Public Law 107 - 110) was signed by the President Bush.
The decision was supported by the majorities of Republicans and Democrats. It became one of the most important reforms in education which set new tasks before federal government. The Act was flexible and ensured accountability. Most of all, it gave more power to federal support for education. The Act became a logical continuation of the processes started with the Brown v. Board decision.
It guaranteed inclusive, responsive, and fair education. With the purpose to give better opportunity for every child, the government decided to give new funding. First of all, the spending for Striving Readers program was increased. Secondly, teachers would be rewarded. They would have to show success of their students.
The next step was fund for low-income and minority students. It would give them a great chance to continue their education in future. "We want America to be promising for every single child of every background so that not one single child in America is left behind. " (President George W. Bush, May 11, 2004) Recently, the President has proposed new initiatives in Higher Education to support measures of No Child Left Behind Act. He proposed to establish a new Community College Access Grants Fund at $ 125 million in 2006 fiscal year. It was supposed to improve the services that community colleges provide. Community College Access Grants Fund allows students to earn college credit.
With the purpose to stimulate good students and those who have decided to continue their education it was proposed funding to give them scholarships. The other advantage was for workers. Even today there is a shortage of workers who received post-secondary education. Then the Fund allows making loans for older workers, workers transitioning to new jobs, and older workers pursuing a second career. It will help them to pay for short-term training. So, as the result, the amount of highly-qualified workers increases.
Between 1990 and 2003, the proportion of the adult population 25 years of age and over with a bachelors degree increased from 21 percent to an all-time high of 27 percent. (3: 8) No Child Left Behind Act was created with the purpose to fulfill several tasks: Requiring Accountability, Ensuring Funding and Flexibility for Schools to Improve, Giving Parents Options, Supporting Teachers including extra incentives for effective teachers and Reading First is the Key to Success. (Jamie, McKenzie) The President emphasized that all these task would be possible to fulfill if several points were changed or added to educational programs. As it was said, first of all a new system of loans should be worked out. It causes flexibility for federal student aid programs. Then the strength should be concentrated on Early Learning. It is the best program that has ever been for early childhood development. The age is the most important for forming good personalities and specialists in future.
It is a time where social and emotional factors are of great importance. Vocabulary, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness have a significant influence on later success in school. "On the first day of school, children need to know letters and numbers. They need a strong vocabulary. And they need to love books.
These are the building blocks of learning. " (President George W. Bush, April 3, 2002) The Act proposes measures for developing skills needed to succeed in school. New requirements were established by the President's Administration. They should encourage states to develop quality criteria for early childhood education. They include Good Start, Grow Smart requirements. All states welcomed the initiative and created coordination of early childhood programs, early learning guidelines and professional development plans.
No Child Left Behind Act proposed two ways that should be followed: cooperation with states and with parents and teachers. All actions were directed to give equal opportunities to students of different socio-economic backgrounds and help parents. They received a chance to choose better educational establishment for their children. A special plan was worked out for measuring progress in education. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have the plan. According to this plan, children will be tested every year.
Teachers will measure their progress on basic reading and math skills. Most of all, parents will have an opportunity to evaluate the results of the tests. These results will give parents a clear idea about the quality of the school and the progress of their child in key subjects. By the way, parents get a chance to send a child to a better school.
The Act was created for giving more opportunities to teachers to increase their skills. But, besides, it should stimulate them to find new, more effective ways to improve their proficiency. "Teaching is one of the great callings, one of the noblest professions, and America deeply appreciates the service of America's teachers. " (President George W. Bush, May 11, 2004). It goes without saying that well-prepared teachers are of great importance for a child's education. Each state should have created a plan for measuring the qualification of its teachers by the end of the 2005 - 06 school years. In 2005 fiscal years budget $ 5 billion were planed for supporting teachers.
The amount has been increased in 61 percents since 2001. Most of all, with the purpose to attract more proficient teachers, they were permitted to take a $ 250 tax deduction for out-of-pocket expenses in the classroom. So, many steps were taken by the US government to support teachers: Improving Teacher Quality, Teacher Training to Put Reading First and On-line Resources for Teachers, Teacher Protection Act. It is for sure, No Child Left Behind Act is a great thing. The results of the Act have been noticed in many states. The difference in both reading and math between African Americans and Hispanics and whites has become narrower.
But there are several problems with the Act. First of all, the Act shows better results in elementary reading and math of fourth- and eighth-graders. The students of twelfth-grade, unfortunately, have declined in both reading and mathematics. Middle and high school students need additional help. According to the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), these students are not sure that they are prepared well for entering a college or for working. As statistic shows, of 100 ninth-graders, only 68 will graduate from high school on time, only 40 will directly enter college, only 27 are still enrolled in college their sophomore year, and only 18 will end up graduating from college. (Jamie, McKenzie) The system of higher education has worked out some steps for full-time students between the ages of 18 and 24.
These students need in post-secondary education. Modern technologies and changes in economy require highly-educated specialists. The proposal gives students greater access to programs based on recent technological advances. But, unfortunately, only one-third of the 15 million students get post-secondary education. America has always considered having one of the best systems of higher education in the world because it has a wide and diverse amount of options available.
No Child Left Behind Act is a historic reform. It was created taking into account the principle of equality. It pays great attention to all students. Much work remains to close the achievement gap in the early years. Even after four years of public schooling, most students perform below proficiency in both reading and mathematics. Minority and disadvantaged students are most at risk for falling behind. (3: 11) It is a significant support to students for whom English is not a native language.
Those students have not only language barrier but also cultural and psychological. The law firms that all children can receive a quality education though they can have different ethnic and cultural background. New bilingual program was established. According to it, these students are placed to classes together with native speakers. Certainly, there are special instructions and other helpful aids for them. But specialists are sure the program will help such students adapt to new culture quicker and improve their knowledge in English easily.
Though there a lot of opponents to this program. They are sure that students speaking English as second language should be taught separately from native speakers. Such students will not benefit but will suffer from discrimination, because learning will be more difficult for them. So, they will make little progress while native speakers have to wait for them. Having examined all pros and corns of No Child Left Behind Act, it can be noticed that the Act was a significant event in education in America. The current system is more oriented to the needs of today's students.
It ensures that students will be provided with the high proficient skills. It gives them a chance to be competitive in the 21 st century economy. Bibliography: Education: The Promise of America Education. Policy Book.
White House. September 26, 2004. web Great Public Schools for Every Child. National Education Association. 2002 - 2006 web Guide to Education and No Child Left Behind. U. S.
Department of Education, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D. C. , 2004. web Jamie, McKenzie. No Child Left.
Gambling with the Children. FNO Press. 2003 web Positive Action for Title I. Positive Action, Inc. ; Positive Action. 2006 web
Free research essays on topics related to: child left, president george w bush, taking into account, post secondary education, native speakers
Research essay sample on President George W Bush Post Secondary Education
