What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind positve and negative
Yes.
This act and its implementation has been very controversial. It's emphasized testing which has caused teachers to "teach to the test." But there's good evidence that some aspects of NCLB has been beneficial for some students.
Check this site -- and see what you think.
http://www.carleton.edu/departments/educ/Vote/pages/Pros_and-Cons.html
Study after study have shown that parental support and involvement is probably the key to helping students achieve. Perhaps more money should be spent on parental involvement.
Another thought -- student motivation --
Years ago Indiana University conducted a small study in a rural middle school. The researchers gave all the students in one grade a reading test. Nothing changed in the curriculum or teaching methods after the test.
A few weeks later the students were divided into two random groups. Both groups were separately retested. Although the first group was told nothing before the test, the second group was promised small prizes (IU sweatshirts, small radios, etc.) for those students who showed the most improvement on this second test.
I'm sure you can guess the outcome. The second group outperformed the first.
Motivation! Immediate rewards!
I agree with Ms. Sue about the controversial nature of NCLB, especially about the testing upon which much of NCLB is based. What I found when I was teaching high school English is that if the curriculum is good and the tests are based on that curriculum, the results for each student and for a school or district will be quite accurate. If the tests and the curriculum don't match, though, obviously the results will not be good -- and this is what leads teachers to teach to the test.
In addition ... one aspect of the motivation angle is illustrated here:
~~ In California (unless things have changed in the past year), the state's test results aren't made available to schools or parents until late in the summer. There are no consequences for students regarding their test scores.
~~ In Texas, the state's test results are sent to schools and parents before the first of June or so, and the scores are used to determine grade promotion (or not) for students in grades 3 - 9 and graduation eligibility for students in grades 11 and 12.
What differences do you think there are in how test scores are or are not used in other states?
Motivation like Ms. Sue's suggestion actually decrease long term motivation. It is only good for short term things students do not want to do.
The question is why test so much in school?
If one puts faith in annual international measures of student proficiency, the US program has had no measurable change in US ranking in math or science.
You're right, Matt.
Long-term motivation is so difficult to cultivate in kids. Some studies have shown that long-term planning doesn't really develop until a person is around 25.
Here in Kalamazoo, we have generous donors who pay the costs of public college for all high school graduates. Yet, the paper tonight reported that our black students are still scoring below the state average for black students (and that includes Detroit). Discouraging!