Unintended Consequences of No Child Left Behind

In this case, a Chicago public school teacher ponders a newspaper headline—“NCLB”—and reflects upon how the application of this legislation has negatively impacted his special needs students. Faced with multiple state and federal testing expectations for this population —often running counter to the goals of their Individualized Education Plans that are, themselves, created by other federal legislation (i.e., the Individuals with Disabilities Act)—the major issue raised is how assessments can better relate to student needs.

Discussion Questions

1. How can we make alternative assessments more reflective of a student’s needs?
2. Teachers should be a part of NCLB. How can teachers be involved in the implementation of its reauthorization?
3. In what ways can NCLB and IDEA be bridged?
4. When discussing NCLB, are children with disabilities a part of the equation specifically children with disabilities that are more severe than learning disabilities?