The No Child Left Behind Act: Negative Implications for Low-Socioeconomic Schools

This thesis examines the effects of The No Child Left Behind Act and it’s impact on low-socioeconomic schools and students. Accountability measured by Adequated Yearly Progress (AYP) and high-stakes testing is closely investigated, along with its negative effects from school restructuring and narrowing of curriculum. Data from newspapers, government reports, case studies and literature reviews are used to argue that No Child Left Behind has hindered our schools and done little to improve the achievement gap. Personal testimonies from teachers and principals are collected to get a closer look on how No Child Left Behind affects individual schools. With No Child Left Behind currently up for reauthorization in 2015, it is important to look closely at how the law has adversely impacted our nation’s schools so that new legislation can be passed to better serve all schools, and guarantee that ‘no child is really left behind.’