No Child Left Behind aims to raise academic standards for all students and to hold teachers and schools accountable for student success. It aims to do so by requiring states and school districts to develop systems that measure performance and academic achievement. This is a powerful goal, one that effectively shields No Child Left Behind from criticism and political fallout. It is difficult to discuss the initiative’s shortcomings without coming across as entirely against high academic achievement, particularly for traditionally underachieving students. Nonetheless, No Child Left Behind’s legacy of accountability through high stakes testing is disastrous and has completely altered the trajectory of American public education. Of course I agree that all teachers in public education should be highly effective so as to enable all children in public education to perform at the highest level. However, No Child Left Behind does not accomplish this. Instead No Child Left Behind creates students who are experts are in memorization, test taking, and little else; teachers who are not allowed to teach; classes that revolve around test preparation; and schools that are entirely devoid of joy. Children in American public schools deserve more. They deserve better. …show more content…
I propose an academic program that integrates relevant assessments and honest feedback into the curriculum and culminates in a multidisciplinary project that facilitates learning and growth while demonstrating academic ability. This program recognizes students as critical thinkers and creators with multiple intelligences and a diverse range of strengths and abilities. Never once does it ask students to take a test for testing’s