Public Attitude Sours Toward No Child Left Behind

The nation’s attitude toward No Child Left Behind continues its downward spiral

Seventy-five percent of the Americans polled in the recently released 2007 PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools believe that No Child Left Behind is not making a difference and may be doing more harm than good to public education.

According to the annual poll, which measures how the public views our nation’s schools and education policy, more Americans (40 percent) have an unfavorable view of NCLB than a favorable view (31 percent). If large numbers of schools fail to meet its NCLB requirements, 49 percent of those polled said they would blame the law. Only 43 percent indicated they would blame the schools.
Other poll findings:
*When it comes to school effectiveness, 80 percent of those polled believe it should be measured by improvement in student achievement instead of the current method that calculates adequate yearly progress (AYP).
*Fifty percent believe NCLB’s focus on reading and mathematics has reduced instructional time in other subjects; 90 percent are concerned that NCLB has narrowed school curriculum in a negative way.
*Nearly 8 in 10 Americans feel that English-language learners should be required to pass an English proficiency test before their reading and math scores are used to measure school performance. Seventy percent disagree with NCLB’s practice of holding special education students to the same standards as all other students.
*Nearly 6 in 10 Americans think that students need to spend more time learning about other nations and cultures.
*Ninety percent believe that all children should become proficient in a second language in addition to English and 70 percent say foreign language instruction should begin in elementary school.

— Teachers of Color