This case highlights many of the unintended consequences that have occurred as a result of NCLB legislation. Have one-size-fits-all curricula really become “a mile-wide and an inch-deep”in order to meet mandates set forth by this law? Have teachers been forced to focus almost exclusively on raising test scores of lower-level learners at the expense of higher-level learners? Are teachers also compelled to spend inordinate amounts of time doing test prep instead of providing actual learning experiences for students? And what has happened to other subject areas such as social studies—not to mention the arts?

Discussion Questions

1. Are punitive sanctions necessary to motivate teachers to provide a high-quality education for all students?
2. Is the goal of closing the achievement gap feasible? Does this goal keep all students learning optimally?
3. How can NCLB policy in general and standardized testing in particular be adjusted to encourage teachers to keep all students learning optimally?
4. How can NCLB policy be adjusted to keep curriculum that is not assessed on the standardized test from being de-emphasized or eliminated?

Joanie James

TNLI Affiliate:
Wyoming

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