December 11, 2015

United States President Barack Obama yesterday moved to significantly reduce the federal government’s involvement in the nation’s public schools and to give states and local school districts authority to set their own academic standards for kindergarten through high school. Calling it a “Christmas miracle,” President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) passed by the U.S. Congress earlier this month. The new law received strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, despite the fact that liberal and conservative members had failed to agree on many other important issues over the previous year.

A teacher and student work together in a special education classroom. Special education is designed to help both disabled and gifted children use their full learning ability.
Credit: © Richard T. Nowitz, Photo Researchers

ESSA replaces the federal law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). At the time it was introduced, NCLB was widely heralded as a way to force schools to devote more resources to poor students and minority groups. The U.S. Congress passed NCLB in 2001. President George W. Bush, who signed it into law in 2002, expressed the hope that it would eliminate “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” The law was considered President Bush’s signature education initiative.

However, over the years, the law had become widely unpopular. NCLB sought to improve student performance and hold schools accountable by measuring student progress through high-stakes testing. The testing program was designed to identify schools that failed to meet basic educational standards, such as those called the Common Core. Schools had to raise test scores every year or face penalties. If test scores for a particular school failed to show adequate improvement over several years, the school could be closed or its staff replaced. NCLB also sought to provide assistance and options for students in failing schools. NCLB was due for reauthorization in 2007, but Congress failed to agree on the terms of the reauthorization. Critics had charged that NCLB gave the federal government too much control over the nation’s public schools.

The ESSA gives states greater flexibility in raising student performance and setting accountability goals. State plans must still, however, be approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Under ESSA, students will also continue to be tested annually in math, reading, and science in third through eighth grades and once in high school. But states will have more authority in deciding how to weigh test scores, how to evaluate teachers, and what to do about underachieving schools.

Additional World Book articles:

• The Child Left Behind – A Special Report
• Education (2001) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2002) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2003) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2004) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2005) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2007) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2008) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2009) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2010) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2011) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2012) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2013) – A Back in Time article
• Education (2014) – A Back in Time article
• State government (2003) – A Back in Time article
• United States, Government of the (2005)  – A Back in Time article