No Child Left Behind Act

No Child Left Behind Act

            The No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB) is the most significant and far-reaching policy in education. The hallmark aspect of this legislation encourages states to conduct student assessments linked to specific standards.  President Bush has had a superb reputation of signing this act into law. Since its establishment, Dee, Jacob, Hoxby & Ladd (2010) argue that, the act has expanded and improved education system in the United States. The legislation has set in place principles and requirements for every public school in the United States.  Although the policy is well intentioned, most critics believe that it is difficult to implement. In response to this, the application and principles of change management theories may explain this pessimistic response. Most findings suggest that the policy has had a significant effect on students’ performance in sciences and mathematics. Considering that the policy was enacted throughout America, students’ performances have improved. Cognitive scientists believe that school activities should match children’s intellectual or abilities. The main idea is that, children learn through stages, and each stage is characterized with new experiences and understanding of the world. With this knowledge in mind, the act established the need to create a new grant program known as Reading first to assist districts and states set up reading programs for young children in grades k-3. This research elaborates the paradigm shift and emerging politics in the (NCLB) from the perceptive of learning theories.

            The NCLB was first established in 1965 and signed into law in 2002. In brief, the act necessitates annual academic testing of public-school students. NCLB requires states to conduct an annual evaluation to all students and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It also encourages states to introduce rewards and sanction based on academic performance. Teachers are required to abide to a specific curriculum plan that guides them on how and what to teach. The act encourages teachers to advance their career and have adequate skills that foster effective teaching practice. NCLB has increased resources to areas with high concentration of poor children. Given its scope, the policy has created a strong ground for schools and states to be more accountable and concern about students’ progress. As previously mentioned, the act has had a significant effect on elementary students’ performance in science and mathematics since students can relate with their prior knowledge.

The NCLB has had a significant impact in improving students’ performance. The policy encourages students to work hard and achieve well in their academics. Usually, students who fail to make an adequate progress are offered supplemental services to boost their learning. The policy requires schools to reward students who perform well in their academics and punish those who do not. Based on this argument, NCLB recognizes that a school must address the external environmental pressures that hinder effective learning.   Paul Chance, a great contributor in the area of cognitive psychology evaluated the effects of rewards in the learning process (Abernathy, 2008). The theorist believed that rewards are important in helping students learn effectively. External forces are important since they reinforce effective learning process to students. In this context, reinforcements may be in form of punishments and rewards (Berliner, 2006).

To Abernathy (2008), NCLB has played a crucial role in the education system in that it recognizes that rewards such as punishments can cause students to do what the school or government wants. Arguing from Paul Chance’s point of view, students should only be rewarded for their course of action. With this, NCLB has been on the right track since it recognizes that a school can only improve on its performance if it monitors students’ academic progress. Since its establishment, NCLB has created a learning environment that encourages rewards. Through this policy, teachers have evaluated whether their teaching is worth learning. As a result, this has allowed teachers to reinforce techniques that create a favorable environment for the learning process.

NCLB has enhanced a strong impact in the education practice. Given the encouraging effect of documenting the students’ progress, the NCLB has created a strong ground for teachers to reinforce behaviors that improve good performance. This positive impact may be described by Skinner B.F. (1904-1990) who was a prominent figure in the field of psychology. Typically, the theorist championed for understanding the cause of behaviors in the environment. In his research, Skinner believed that the education world places too much attention to the internal states of motives and mind, but fails to recognize the environmental factors that can be changed. He understood that human beings learn best in an approachable or responsive environment. Teachers or schools that reward or praise students for their good performance tend to create such an environment. Paul chance supported Skinner’s work about behavioral theory. Reinforcement occurs when the consequence of the behavior increases the probability or likelihood of the behavior to be repeated.  To Skinner, behaviors that are reinforced can be repeated, but those that are not are extinguished.  Also, the theorist believed that effective learning process can only occur when those in the authority rewards good behavior and punish bad ones (Cohn, 2010).

NCLB has positively influenced classroom practices. In particular, the policy has created a strong incentive where educators focus on increasing students’ performance. The policy requires all states to prepare annual reports cards highlighting all information about the student’s progress in learning. The policy offers supplemental education services for students who fail their exams. The act has also embraced retention and transfer aspect in the learning process.  According to Schema theory, students’ prior knowledge can enhance transfer of learning process (Hayes, 2008). Transfer of learning cannot be underestimated in improving performance or learning process. The notion of transfer of learning was enacted by Thorndike Edward and Woodworth Robert (Piasek, 2003). The two theorists provided their facts on how transfer learning could influence future learning. Their concept described the process through, which past experiences improves learning in the new situation. By definition, retention is the aspect of remembering information in future while transfer is the aspect of utilizing previous knowledge to answer current problems or questions. With this, retention creates a strong ground for student to recall what they have learned while transfer requires one to have adequate facts of the prior learning experiences. Evaluation is a crucial aspect that teachers should use to access the progress made in the learning process.  The Act has impacted the school organization culture. For instance, it has created a strong ground for teachers to utilize diagnostic assessment to determine students’ areas of weaknesses and strengths. The act has increased professional opportunities offered in schools.  It has also ensured that all teachers are certified and demonstrate expertise and proficient in their professionalism.

The act has garnered mixed perceptions from the educators, school administrators, and education experts. The NCLB has been criticized as difficult to implement. The application of Daweyian theory explains this negative effect. John Dawey (1859-1952) was an American Giant who obtained a great legacy in formulating a learning theory. The theorist evaluated what impacts children to learn more effectively. In brief, Dawey believed that a school should not follow a specific curriculum to teach students. In other words, the theorist criticized the rote learning and practices approaches. His theory advocated for the development of thinking but not attainment of knowledge. According to Daweyian theory, knowledge was a powerful tool, but lacking an end. The theory has gained a superb reputation in the field of education in that, it allow school, states, and government to allow students to learn because it is their personal needs. Dewey believed that instead of creating a curriculum plan to dictate how children learn, schools should create a favorable environment for effective learning. The theorist believed that, a school must understand the students’ internal processes. In simpler terms, schools or teachers must understand the impulses, habits, and urgent needs that each child or student possess, and work hard to free any behavior that hinders effective learning process. Dawey supported the idiosyncratic curriculum for each student. Arguing from this perceptive, NCLB may hinder effective learning considering teachers are suppose to follow a specific curriculum plan. Most critics have believed that school programs may hinder teachers from exercising their skills since they may be limited to implement different strategies in the learning process. The most compelling with regard to school curriculum is the allocation of time in every subject. As Dawey puts it, schools should create a favorable environment that facilitates effective learning (Galloway, 2007).  He also recognized the importance of rewarding teachers for their influence in the education process.

Conclusion

The NCLB has significantly improved the federal role of public schooling. As mentioned, the act has enhanced positive effects on students’ performance in mathematics and sciences through the use retention and transfer. Disadvantaged populations such as Hispanic students have benefited from the funding offered. Arguing from a cognitive learning point of view, NCLB has increased transformation of knowledge and information. The act has increased retention and transfer of knowledge especially in mathematics and science subjects.  Schema theory has also explained how NCLB has enhanced development in the learning process. The act has created a strong ground for teachers to impact students with knowledge and new experiences. Specifically, it has created a solid ground for teachers to evaluate students’ weaknesses and strengths.  The act has encouraged teachers to be more effective in their teaching and link new information with familiar information to learners. Although many people have supported the act for its importance in improving the education system, some experts have expressed their doubt for the act not achieving its goals. For instance, Dewey believed that instead of creating a curriculum plan to dictate how learning should take place, schools should work hard to promote a favorable environment for effective learning. This research is worth consideration as it portrays the emerging politics in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) from the perceptive of learning theories.

 

 

 

References

Abernathy, S. (2008). No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools. New York: University of Michigan Press.

Berliner, D. C. (2006). The Origins of Educational Psychology. The 100-Year Journey Of Educational psychology, 14 – 22.

Cohn, A.M. (2010). Positive Behavioral Supports: Information for Educators. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/pbs_fs.aspx

Dee, T. S., Jacob, B. A., Hoxby, C. M., & Ladd, H. F. (2010). The impact of no child left behind on students, teachers, and Schools/Comments and discussion. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, , 149-207. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/859360413?accountid=45049

Galloway, D. L. (2007). A Change Management, Systems Thinking, Or Organizational Development Approach To The No Child Left Behind Act. Performance Improvement, 46(5), 10-16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237242240?accountid=45049

Hayes, W. (2008). No Child Left Behind: Past, present, and future. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Piasek, J. R. (2003). The development of a learning organization, nickelodeon: Educating children through commercial television.(Order No. 3106555, Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 380-380 p. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305271513?accountid=45049. (305271513).

 

 

 

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