No Child Left Behind? : The Politics and Practice of School Accountability

The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act is the most important legislation in American education since the 1960s. The law requires states to put into place a set of standards, together with a comprehensive testing plan designed to ensure these standards are met. Students at schools that fail to meet those standards may leave for other schools, and schools not progressing adequately become subject to reorganization. Its significance lies less in federal dollar contributions than in the direction it gives to school spending. It helps codify the movement toward common standards and school accountability. As the first scholarly assessment of the new legislation, this book cuts new ground in the ongoing debate over accountability. The distingushed contributors examine the law's origins, the politics surrounding its implementation, and its likely consequences for American education. Preface -- 1. Politics And Practice Of Accountability / Martin R. West And Paul E. Peterson -- Pt. 1. The Politics Of Accountability. -- 2. No Child Left Behind : Forging A Congressional Compromise / Andrew Rudalevige -- 3. Refining Or Retreating? : High Stakes Accountability In The States / Frederick M. Hess -- 4. Politics, Control, And The Future Of School Accountability / Terry M. Moe -- 5. Rethinking Accountability Politics / Jennifer Hochschild -- Pt. 2. The Practice Of School Accountability -- 6. Lessons About The Design Of State Accountability Systems / Eric A. Hanushek And Margaret E. Raymond -- 7. Unintended Consequences Of Racial Subgroup Rules / Thomas J. Kane And Douglas O. Staiger -- 8. Charter School Achievement And Accountability / Tom Loveless -- 9. The Effects Of Accountability In California / Julian R. Betts And Anne Danenberg -- Pt. 3. The Promise Of Student Accountability. -- 10. The First Wave Of Accountability / Thomas S. Dee -- 11. No Child Left Behind, Chicago Style / Anthony S. Bryk -- 12. A Closer Look At Achievement Gains Under High-stakes Testing In Chicago / Brian A. Jacob -- 13. Central Exit Exams And Student Achievement : International Evidence / Ludger Wöβmann. Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. West, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Annotation The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act is the most important legislation in American education since the 1960s. The law requires states to put into place a set of standards together with a comprehensive testing plan designed to ensure these standards are met. Students at schools that fail to meet those standards may leave for other schools, and schools not progressing adequately become subject to reorganization. The significance of the law lies less with federal dollar contributions than with the direction it gives to federal, state, and local school spending. It helps codify the movement toward common standards and school accountability. Yet NCLB will not transform American schools overnight. The first scholarly assessment of the new legislation, No Child Left Behind? breaks new ground in the ongoing debate over accountability. Contributors examine the law's origins, the political and social forces that gave it shape, the potential issues that will surface with its implementation, and finally, the law's likely consequences for American education Annotation "The first scholarly assessment of the new legislation, No Child Left Behind? breaks new ground in the ongoing debate over accountability. Contributors examine the law's origins, the political and social forces that gave it shape, the potential issues that will surface with its implementation, and finally, the law's likely consequences for American education."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved As a path breaker, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the federal legislation signed into law in January 2002, stands alongside the pioneering compensatory and special education laws enacted in 1965 and 1974.