The Buzz: No Child Left Behind Faces Scrutiny

by Bill Wyatt

The federal No Child Left Behind Act was enacted seven years ago over the objections of many state legislators.  Improving accountability and raising school standards in and of itself is not controversial.  The fact that most states had already invested millions of dollars in established accountability programs that now had to be scrapped was disheartening to many.

Now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize President Bush's signature education policy, members of his own party are calling for significant changes.  State legislators spent the better part of two years studying the law and have recommended several key changes and are asking Congress to help them pay for reaching the goals established in No Child Left Behind.

In the latest episode of The Buzz, NCSL's federal education policy expert, David Shreve, talks about some of the concerns states have and offers suggestions on how to make the law more effective.