Exacerbating inequality the failed promise of the No Child.pdfVIP

Race Ethnicity and Education Vol. 10, No. 3, September 2007, pp. 295–308 Exacerbating inequality: the failed promise of the No Child Left Behind Act David Hursh* University of Rochester, USA Race Ethnicity and EducationDavidHursh2007Taylor and FrancisTaylor Francisdhursh@000000September 2007CREE_A_250194.sgmOriginal Article310.1080/136133207015032641361-3324 (print)/1470-109X (online)10 The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) marks the largest intervention of the federal government into education in the history of the United States. NCLB received and continues to receive support, in part because it promises to improve student learning and to close the achieve- ment gap between White students and students of color. However, NCLB has failed to live up to its promises and may exacerbate inequality. Furthermore, by focusing on education as the solution to social and economic inequality, it diverts the public’s attention away from the issues such as poverty, lack of decent paying jobs and health care, that need to be confronted if inequality is to be reduced. When No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became law in 2002, it passed the Senate and House with large majorities1 and has led to the largest intervention by the federal government into education in the history of the United States. NCLB significantly transforms publicly funded education from birth through adulthood. NCLB received political support because it, like the standards, testing and accountability movement on which it builds, ostensibly aims to improve education for all, especially for those students who have been historically disadvantaged, and to close the achievement gap between White students and students of color. However, as I will show, to date NCLB has failed to deliver as promised and, given the specifics of the law, there is no reason to think that it will or can. NCLB, by standardizing curriculum and assess- ment, undermines the kinds of re