Overhaul to No Child Left Behind Signed into Law

In a bipartisan agreement last month, Congress passed a revision of the No Child Left Behind Act that gives states and local school districts greater control over how they monitor their schools and their students.

The original No Child Left Behind Act was signed in to law in 2001, and gave the federal government the responsibility of regulating schools’ performances throughout the country by tracking test scores and sanctioning schools that weren’t meeting federal standards. The bill was partially successful in that it was able to lessen the testing gap between white students and minority students, but many teachers and school administrators, as well as parents, felt that it wasn’t doing enough to help their schools.

Many people said that the law changed the dynamic of the schools to focus on testing alone rather than well-rounded curriculums that helped students succeed and excel in areas other than standardized testing. It also seemed that the federal government was too harsh with sanctions against schools that weren’t meeting testing standards, though there were very little resources offered to underperforming schools to help them improve.

The new revisions to the original bill passed this month and signed by President Barack Obama – known as the Every Student Succeeds Act – will lessen the federal government’s involvement in regulating the school systems and will put much of that authority back into the control of local and state governments, says CBS News. With decision-making at the state and local levels, lawmakers hope that resources will be more quickly allocated to vulnerable students and schools, and that states can develop their own plans to improve struggling school districts. The president hopes that this revision will replace the “one-size-fits-all” approach from the original legislation.

While this legislation certainly helps to improve opportunities for schools and students within the realm of public education, it is places like the Steadfast Academy that help to bridge the gap in those earliest years and before and after school. With educational curriculum that helps children learn through play, express their creativity, and foster their desires to learn, Steadfast Academy is the perfect way to help your child succeed.

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