Education in the United
States & No Child Left Behind
Marc McGuigan
Physics Education Forum
Monday, April 23, 2007
Outline
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Education in the United States
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NCLB
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How is elementary and secondary education
funded?
What is the role of the federal government?
What is NCLB?
Components of NCLB
Controversy
What should be done?
How is elementary and secondary
education funded?
Total U.S. Expenditures for Elementary and Secondary Education
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
How is elementary and secondary
education funded?
Total Expenditures per
Pupil (for Fall Enrollment)
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
Annual Secondary Education
Expenditures per Student
The Role of the Federal Government
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United States Department of Education
Secretary of Education – Margaret Spellings
National Education Budget $69.4 million (2006)
Federal government provides about 8.5% of public
school funds, the rest of the funding comes from state
and local taxes.
In FY 2004 the federal government gave $24.3 billion
to states to implement NCLB (40% increase from FY
2001)
In FY 2004 federal Title I funding was $12.34 billion
The Role of the Federal Government
Federal Spending Under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
No Child Left Behind Funding: 2002-06
The Problem
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“Studies show less than
half of those who do
graduate are ready for
college-level math and
science.”
“Although U.S. fourth
graders score well against
international competition,
they fall near the bottom
or dead last by 12th
grade in mathematics and
science, respectively.”
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
Source: No Politician Left Behind. The Wall Street
Journal Editorial Page. February, 15, 2004.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.ht
ml?id=110004698
The Problem
Percentage of Twelfth Graders Proficient in Science
The longer students stay in the current system
the worse they do. According to the 1995 Third
International Mathematics and Science Study,
U.S. fourth graders ranked second. By twelfth
grade, they fell to 16th, behind nearly every
industrialized rival and ahead of only Cyprus
and South Africa.
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
As the U.S. Commission on National Security in the
Twenty-First Century reports, "More Americans will
have to understand and work competently with
science and math on a daily basis . . . the
inadequacies of our systems of research and
education pose a greater threat to U.S. national
security over the next quarter century than any
potential conventional war that we might imagine."
What is the No Child Left Behind Act?
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A federal law that reauthorizes many federal programs
(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965)
Passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of
381 – 41 on December 13, 2001
Passed by the Senate by a vote of 87 – 10 on
December 18, 2001
Signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2002
670 Pages!!
No Child Left Behind
FY 2006 Budget $37.6 billion K-12 Education
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ESEA, Title I: $13.3 billion
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), Part
B, Grants to States: $11.1 billion
Improving Teacher Quality: $2.9 billion
21st Century Community Learning Centers: $991.1
million
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English Language Learners: $675.8 million
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Impact Aid: $1.2 billion
No Child Left Behind
Title I Grants for
Disadvantaged Children
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
Federal Grants to States for
Special Education
Title I, Part A - Tests
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Develop state standards in math and
reading/language arts (not new) and science
standards by 2005-2006
By 2005-2006 states must implement
assessments in reading and math every year in
grades 3–8 and once in grades 10–12
By 2007-2008 the states must administer
science assessment at least once in grades 35, 6-9, and 10-12
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
Title I, Part A - Reporting
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States must disaggregate test results:
 Gender
 English proficiency
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major racial and ethnic groups
migrant status
Disability
status as economically advantaged
States must make available test results to school districts before the beginning of
the next school year
4th and 8th graders in states must participate in the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) to evaluate state academic standards
State Report Cards
School District Report Cards
Annual State Report to the Secretary of Education
Title I, Part A – Adequate Yearly
Progress
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States must define adequate yearly progress
States must review the progress of schools receiving Title I funds
If a school fails to meet adequate yearly progress for:
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2 years
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3 years
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School must allow low-income students to receive supplemental educational services with
Title I funds
4 years – Corrective Action (one of the following)
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“in need of improvement”
Students given the option to transfer to another public school
School must spend 10% of Title I Part A on professional development that address problem
Replace staff
New curriculum
Decrease management authority
Appoint outside exert
Extend school day or year
5 years
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Initiate plans to restructure school
Title I, Part A
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Highly Qualified Teachers
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State certification
Bachelor’s degree
Subject area competency - New middle and high
school teachers
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Academic major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent
to an academic major, advanced certification credentialing
State exam
Implement practices based on scientific
research
Title II
“The National Science Foundation and the U.S.
Department of Education will provide an
estimated $1 billion over five years for
results-oriented partnerships between local
districts and universities to bring urgency,
tested methods, and high level expertise to
rebuilding math excellence.”
Source: Department of Education www.ed.gov
Controversy
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National Education Association and the
American Federation of Teachers are critical of
the NCLB Act
May 3, 2005 Utah governor, Jon Huntsman
signs a state law that allows Utah districts to
ignore components of NCLB
Unfunded Mandate
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Argument Against NCLB:
 The federal government does not provide the funding
necessary to implement the mandates outlined in the
NCLB Act
 Education is a state and local issue not a federal issue.
Opposing Position:
 The federal funding of education has increased in recent
years
 It is not clear whether increased spending improves the
quality of education
 A state does not have to implement the components of
NCLB. It only has to implement NCLB if it wants to
receive federal education funds.
Teach to the Test
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Argument Against:
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Teachers and students spend time on certain topics at the
expense of other interesting topics.
Administering tests takes away class time.
Tests are not a good indicator of a school’s performance.
Opposing Argument:
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Tests can gauge if students are learning the necessary
material.
Tests allow parents and administrators to compare schools
within a given state as well as identify schools that are failing.
Tests provide accountability for education funding.
Adequate Yearly Progress
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Argument Against NCLB:
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There is an incentive to set expectations low.
NCLB sets unrealistically high standards so that
many schools fail, federal education funding drops,
and the Department of Education is eliminated.
Opposing Argument:
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AYP Reports allow students and their parents to
identify failing schools and if a student is in a failing
school NCLB gives he/she the opportunity to receive
additional services or transfer schools.
References
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National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/
No Child Left Behind: A Desktop Reference,
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbreference/reference.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions about No Child Left Behind,
http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/nclb/nclbfaq.p
df
No Politician Left Behind. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Page.
February, 15, 2004.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004698
Highly Qualified Teachers. No Child Left Behind. United States
Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/guidance.doc
Wikipedia