No Child Left Behind - Admission/Application Essay Example

According to the Department of Education Overview (2005), NCLB is built on four common-sense pillars of accountability for results; an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research; expanded parental options; and expanded local control and flexibility. While all of this sounds positive, it is the accountability for results that most disturbs given the fact that test results equal federal funds, not a positive carrot in my opinion for the achievement of educational excellence. The statement by President Bush (2001) is at the heart of what I see as a very serious flaw in the mandate pertaining to its emphasis on testing which he calls. .“the essence of excellence [and the means of judging that] in education..” (para 7).The U.S.

Department of Education USDE insists No Child Left Behind puts a special emphasis on implementing educational programs and practices that have been clearly demonstrated to be effective through rigorous scientific research. While all of this sounds promising, other aspects of a test-oriented program by which the fate of districts rises or falls is a frightening one considering what is at stake—again, federal funding. While reps Becky Fleischauer from the National Education Association (NEA) (2002) claims that “we will begin to see testing and accountability and teacher quality” (para. 2), other experts have a very different take that does not instill the same confidence, especially when it comes to testing.

Education expert James Pophan (2010) found the following: “An astonishing amount of cheating is taking place on the tests that measure progress”(para. 1), rendering psychometric guidelines touted as produced through “rigorous scientific research” by psychometric experts virtually worthless. Shockingly various instances of educator cheating range from teachers allowing students more than the allotted time, to the administration of pre-tests with actual final test questions.

I find this quite disturbing given these tests are supposed to accurately predict student and district achievement.Other issues with testing involve questions about whether the tests themselves accurately measure success and the scores resulting from them really indicate whether the program is working. In Education World, a reliable educational publication, Dilisio (2002) quotes AASA spokesman, Bruce Hunter who states “Many standardized tests are flawed and may not adequately reflect a student's abilities” (para. 29). It boggles the mind that Hunter admits tests are “still in development stages [but are] being treated like they are precision instruments when they are not" (para. 29). Clearly this admission is startling as these results hold so much power over decisions as to whether a district is actually doing its job or not.

As a program designed to improve education and ensure that every child is provided the tools necessary to succeed, I believe this program fails to achieve its goal for a variety of reasons, including questions regarding testing. The sooner the educational system realizes that testing alone is not the prime indicator of whether or not a child is being educated, or whether their instructors are competent, the sooner we can begin to improve the system and provide a real environment in which students can succeed.

Then and only then no child will be left behind.