In Need of Improvement: NCLB and High Schools

NCLB was passed with bipartisan support in Congress because consensus had been reached that the nation needed to close the achievement gaps that existed between students of differing racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, and that schools should be held accountable for the success of all students. But despite the location chosen for the signing of the bill into law—a public high school—flaws in the design and implementation of NCLB related to funding, measurements, and improvement strategies largely neglect secondary schools and students, thwarting the goal of ensuring that America’s students graduate prepared for the twenty-first century. Why the crisis in America’s high schools matters to individuals and society