Accessibility or Accountability - Annotated Bibliography Example

 Accessibility or Accountability? The article under consideration analyzes the discrepancy which exists between the rhetoric of the No Child Left Behind Act and its practical implications. In particular, the authors of the article state that while NCLB promotes the idea of competition between educational establishments, which is able to increase the effectiveness of the system of education in the United States, its rhetoric sticks to the concept of a “common era” school. The article can help understand the drawbacks of the No Child Left Behind Act, such as the existence of conflicting goals within the act, from the perspective of the economic theory. Colker, R. (2013). Politics trump science: The collision between No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Journal of Law and Education, 42(4), 585-631. The author of the article discusses the controversies between the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He addresses the problems that take roots in the melding of NCBH and the IDEA. In the course of the analysis, the author defines that the IDEA appears to be suitable and acceptable for the individuals with disabilities than NCLB and invites the U. S. Department of Education to stop the tension between the two acts. The article is important for understanding of the issue of the collision between the acts and shows the point of view of the counterparty which is opposite to that one discussed in Kaufman and Blewett's article. Dee, T., & Jacob, B. (2009). The impact of No Child Left Behind on student achievement. Retrieved from National Bureau of Economic Research website: http://www.nber.org/papers/w15531.pdf The article under consideration presents the results of the research on the effectiveness of the No Child Left Behind Act in increasing student achievement rates. In accordance with the authors of the research, despite the negative predictions the NCLB Act has a positive influence on the rates of student achievement. The article shows that there are significant improvements not only among students with average achievements but among those ones from low-achieving groups. The article can be used in the research while discussing the positive outcomes of the introduction of the Act to the system of education. Epstein, J. L. (2005). Attainable goals? The spirit and letter of the No Child Left Behind Act on parental involvement. Sociology of Education, 78, 179-182. In the article, Research Professor of Sociology at John Hopkins University Joyce L. Epstein discusses 1118 section of the No Child Left Behind Act that touches upon parental involvement. More specifically, the author of the article presents her own views on the the requirements to parental involvement considered in the NCLB Act, gives a range of example from practice, introduces the changes that are needed in the Act and recommends the questions for further research in the sphere. The fact that the article addresses the issue of parental involvement in the process of education of their children makes the piece unique for this problem is discussed quite rarely; it can be useful in the research to define the possible ways of improvement of the connection between schools and families in the context of NCLB. Gardiner, M. E., Canfield-Davis, K., & Anderson, K. L. (2008). Urban school principals and the “No Child Left Behind” act. The Urban Review, 41, 141-160. The article describes the exploratory study conducted to define how six principals of the Adams School District schools met the requirements of the NCLB act in the context of multiculturalism presented by an urban setting. The article defines the roles of principals in work in multicultural society, the multicultural leadership framework and historical context of NCLB and educational law in terms of multiculturalism. Overall, the described study shows there are both beneficial and challenging elements in the NCLB Act that affect the work of principals in the multicultural society. The article is important for understanding of the influence of NCLB on work of those who actually lead the educational process, principals, in today's multicultural society. Grissom, J. A., Nickolson-Crotty, S., & Harrington, J. R. (2014). Estimating the effects of No Child Left Behind on teachers’ work environments and job attitudes. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 1-20. The authors of the article present the most current data on the influence of the No Child Left Behind Act on teachers, their job attitudes, and work environment at schools. In the article, the group of researchers present the results of their study which shows that there are surprisingly positive trends in commitment, job satisfaction and work environment measures and negative effect on teachers' perception of cooperation. While the majority of works on NCLB touch upon the influence of the Act on students, urban and rural schools, this article is very important for it addresses the one more important factor of educational system, which is working environment for teachers. Guisbond, L., Neill, M., & Schaeffer, B. (2012). NCLB's lost decade for educational progress: What can we learn from this policy failure. Retrieved from http://fairtest.org/sites/default/files/NCLB_Report_Final_Layout.pdf The report analyzes the evidence of the No Child Left Behind Act failure gathered during ten years of its implementation. In the course of analysis, the group of researchers has drawn the conclusion that NCLB has damaged the quality and equity of education in the United States; it has failed to narrow achievement gaps and increase average performance; its reforms introduced by Obama's Administration have not affected the flaws of the Act. The report can be used effectively in the research on NCLB as the source of information on the influence of the Act on the educational system of the USA. Kaufman, A. K., & Blewett, E. (2012). When good enough is no longer good enough: How the high stakes nature of the No Child Left Behind Act supplanted the Rowley definition of a free appropriate public education. Journal of Law and Education, 41(1), 5-23. The article by Kaufman and Blewett addresses the question of suitability of the Rowley definition of a free appropriate education in terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. The authors of the article compare the IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) requirements and the NCLB Act requirements on penalties for educational establishments not making AYP (adequate yearly progress). In the course of the analysis, the authors draw the conclusion that the NCLB Act has stricter and more effective penalties which ensure that students with disabilities get acceptable results. The article addresses a very specific and important issue and can useful for those conducting a research on the appropriateness of NCLB in working with individuals with disabilities. Reeves, C. (2003). Implementing the No Child Left Behind act: Implications for rural schools and districts. Retrieved from http://www.sc3ta.org/kb_files/NCLB_RuralPolicyBrief.pdf The article under consideration discusses the challenges for rural schools and districts posed by the No Child Left Behind Act. Among the addressed problems caused by the implementation of NCLB in rural schools are small student populations, high standards for teachers and students, geographical isolation of rural areas. In addition to this, Reeves also includes suggestions on how to help rural schools meets the harsh requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The article can be used in the research while analyzing the challenges posed by NCLB and its influence on the educational system. Sanders, A. (2008). Left behind: Low income students under the No Child Left Behind Act. Journal of Law and Education, 37(4), 589-596. In the article under consideration, its author addresses the negative consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act on those for whom it has actually been created. More specifically, Sanders discusses the provisions of the NCLB Act which can inhibit educational opportunities of low-income students. Apart from this, the author of the article presents the solution of the discussed problem, which, in his judgment, can give the opportunity for low-income students to get benefit from the No Child Left Behind Act. This article can be rather useful while conducting a research on the issue because it discusses the possible drawbacks of the NCLB Act and presents way out of the hypothetic problem. Stockard, J. (2011). Merging the accountability and scientific research requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act: Using cohort control groups. Quality and Quantity, 47, 2225-2257. In the article, Stockard demonstrates how the two areas of work envisioned by the No Child Left Behind Act, such as scientifically based research and regular assessment of achievements of students, can be combined so that they help deliver the necessary information for both the officials and researchers in a “cost-effective manner”. The article shows the ways to save time and efforts of educational specialists while conducting assessments and researches and, consequently, it can be used while studying the advantages of the No Child Left Behind Act and its possible implications and reforms. Uzzell, L. A. (2005). No Child Left Behind. The dangers of centralized education policy. Retrieved from http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa544.pdf In the article, Uzzell analyzes the pitfalls of the No Child Left Behind Act and the ways its implementation can hurt the educational system of the United States. The author of the article presents his view on the possible scenarios of development of the situation. In addition to this, he criticizes centralization of education and presents his personal ideas on how to make education improvements. Despite that the article is a bit out of date, it can be successfully used in the research to analyze whether the predictions of specialists on NCLB have become the reality. Read More