On Jan. 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his education reform plan and contains the most sweeping
changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. It changes the federal government's
role in kindergarten-through-grade-12 education by asking America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each
student accomplishes. The act contains the President's four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for
results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have
been proven to work.
When President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act
into law, he gave this advice to parents: "As parents, you are your children's first teachers and their strongest advocates.
You have a critical role to play - both in how you raise your children and in how you work for meaningful and accurate accountability
in their schools."
Only 32% of fourth graders are proficient readers who read at a fourth grade level. No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) emphasizes accountability and teaching methods that work, especially in the area of reading.
In "A Parent's
Guide to No Child Left Behind," you learn about new
requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals, school and school
district report cards, annual testing in math and reading. You also learn about new options for parents including transfers
from failing schools and free supplemental services - tutoring, after-school programs and summer school.
