The No Child Left Behind Act 6/2010
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act enabled the education plan that was signed into law on January 8, 2002. It changes the federal government's role in grades K-12 education by asking schools that receive federal Title 1 money to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. NCLB has led to higher standards and greater accountability throughout the Nation's school systems.
Here are some key facts and terms that you should know about how this law helps your child:
Funding: No Child Left Behind gives school districts more money.
Flexibility: No Child Left Behind gives states and school districts more control and more flexibility to use resources where they are needed most.
Accountability: No Child Left Behind holds schools and school districts accountable for results. Schools are responsible for making sure your child is learning.
School District Report Cards: No Child Left Behind gives parents report cards so they can see which schools in their district are succeeding and why. With this information, No Child Left Behind gives parents, community leaders, teachers, principals, and elected leaders the information they need to improve schools.
Public School Choice: No Child Left Behind may let you transfer your child to another public school if the state says that your child's school is "in need of improvement." Your school district may pay for transportation for your child. Contact your child's school district to find out if your child has this opportunity.
Extra Help with Learning: No Child Left Behind may also provide your child with free tutoring and extra help with schoolwork if the state says your child's school has been "in need of improvement" for at least 2 years. This extra help is often referred to as Supplemental Educational Services (see detail below). Contact your child's school district to find out if your child qualifies.
Parental Involvement: No Child Left Behind requires schools to develop ways to get parents more involved in their child's education and in improving the school. Contact your child's school to find out how you can get involved.
Measuring Knowledge: No Child Left Behind requires states to test your child in reading and math every year in grades 3-8. Your child will also be tested at least once in high school. The tests will help you, your child, and your child's teachers know how well your child is learning and when he or she needs extra help.
Scientifically Based Research: No Child Left Behind focuses on teaching methods that have been proven by research to work. There will be no more experimenting on children with educational fads.
Reading First: No Child Left Behind provides more than one billion dollars a year to help children learn to read. Reading First is the part of No Child Left Behind that is dedicated to ensuring all children learn to read on grade level by the third grade. Reading First provides money to states and many school districts to support high quality reading programs based on the best scientific research. Contact your child's school district to find out if its reading program is based on research.
Teacher Quality: No Child Left Behind provides funding to help teachers learn to be better teachers.
For more details online, go to: www.ed.gov/nclb
What are Supplemental Educational Services?
Under the No Child Left Behind Act low income children enrolled in public schools classified as “in need of improvement” can receive free supplemental educational services (SES), including tutoring, after school services, and summer school programs. The Supplemental Educational Services Quality (SESQ) Center helps families obtain the academic help they need for their children.
Their website, www.tutorsforkids.org provides information and tools to help parents, educators, policymakers, and program providers get the extra academic help they need for children in designated schools. The website provides basic information about supplemental educational services, detailed guidance on SES for families, providers, educators and policymakers, state by state profiles of SES implementation, national data on SES implementation trends across states, and links to tools and resources on SES.
By phone, you can call the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588 to get the contact information of your local School District office.
You can search for your local School District office contact information in the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine online database.