No Child Left Behind... What happened after 3 years?

	No Child Left Behind… What happened after 3 years?

	President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in January 2002, helping change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap among groups of students, offering more flexibility to states, giving parents more options and teaching students based on what works. A look at what happened during the past 3 years by the U.S. Dept. of Education shows that the program is clearly working. Success examples include such cases as the Broad Acres Elementary School in Silverspring , Maryland, which was able to achieve a dramatic turnaround in the scores of children in reading and math; the case of the Toledo , Ohio public school system which achieved similar results by following the guidelines of NCLB; etc. The main features of the act are the following: The act offers what is known as "Supplemental Help". This is a form of assistance that is offered directly to the children and their parents if the state determines that the school needs to improve. Such help include free in-home tutoring for the child, free computer and Internet assistance sessions, 50% discounts on lunch prices, etc. Services for children with learning disabilities: Children are screened and those with potential learning disabilities are identified. Specific recommendations are then given to the teacher to address the disability. NCLB emphasizes closing the gap between affluent students and disadvantaged students, such as low income or minority groups. Disadvantaged students, by law, now get subsidized lunching, assistance with purchases of books or computers, etc. Bullying intervention - since an atmosphere of fear at school can substantially affect a child's aptitude for learning. In Spring Grove Intermediate School, Pennsylvania, School Counselor Lisa Myers says: "We don't have tolerance for any type of bullying. We try to enforce this policy all the time". If you think your child is being bullied at school, talk immediately to the school counselor. Fighting obesity and poor eating habits. The U.S. Surgeon General is working intensively with the Dept. of Education to raise the level of health literacy in schools so that children can fight obesity. Clearly, the new federal law provides substantial assistance for all children. If you believe that your child is being "left behind" at school, contact your state representatives or the U.S. Dept. of Education NCLB Program. Continuous new information is also available at the following White House link.

No Child Left Behind… What happened after 3 years?