> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Breaking down No Child Left Behind RAND discussion forum debates the often criticized act - URL: https://www.smdp.com/breaking-down-no-child-left-behind-rand-discussion-forum-debates-the-often-criticized-act/ - Published: 2007-09-29T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T03:04:47.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import CIVIC CENTER The No Child Left Behind Act has been one of the most widely criticized pieces of legislation to have come out of Washington D.C. in the past decade, chastised by educators for its emphasis on standardized tests and its penalties on low-performing schools. The bill passed with bipartisan support in 2001 and signed into law in 2002 with the intent to ensure all public school children are proficient in reading and math by 2014\. Though many agree the bill came with good intentions, critics maintain the problem seems to lie in its implementation. A group of three educational experts sat down before an audience of parents, school administrators and public education advocates on Wednesday to take a look back at NCLB and its effect over the past five years, assessing whether the bill has lived up to its name. The panel discussion was sponsored by the RAND Corporation and featured two of its policy experts — Brian Stecher and Ron Zimmer, both of whom focus their research on education. The panel was rounded out by Ramon Cortines, the deputy mayor of education in the City of Los Angeles. The NCLB has a 40-year history in this country, dating back to 1965 when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed. The differences between the two iterations is that the latter has placed a strong emphasis on accountability within each school district, its relationship with the private sector and sanctions placed on schools that do not meet expectations, Stecher said. The effects of the bill caught many educators by surprise, particularly in the arena of testing and accountability, Cortines said, adding that he can’t think of a single school district in the country that performed well or understood the implications of accountability. The trio of panelists agreed that the goal of full proficiency by 2014 was an unrealistic one, but differed on whether the bar should be reset — Zimmer said he doesn’t believe the goal could ever be reached; Cortines said even if the bar was set lower, it would still be too high; and Stecher said he thinks the goal should be redefined. “I would much rather see a target defined by growth rather than the absolute level,” Stecher said. Critics have said that one of the biggest challenges facing NCLB is its reliance on testing, making teachers spend too much classroom instruction time on the standardized tests. Many educators have said that the standardized test isn’t a good indicator of how well the students actually perform in school. Zimmer said he believes the tests need to be broadened to include disciplines outside of math and reading. The three panelists were asked what they would like to see changed in the new version of NCLB, the question phrased as how they would make their requests to U.S. rep George Miller and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy — the chairs of the two chambers’ education subcommittee — if they were in the same elevator. Cortines said the most important change would be to ensure that struggling teachers and struggling students would have access to assistance while Stecher said he wants to broaden criteria used to measure proficiency. Zimmer said he would stress an importance on student progress. Many of the people who attended the panel discussion were educators with the Santa Monica-Malibu and LA unified school districts as well as the districts’ respective boards of education. The No Child Left Behind Act was denounced last week by the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, which rallied teachers district-wide to call their legislators and urge them to vote against the upcoming reauthorization. Several teachers cited the standardized testing component as the reasons behind their disgruntled feelings toward the act, arguing that it takes them several weeks to prepare for the test and assess the results. School board member Barry Snell said he doesn’t think No Child Left Behind has had the same effect on the Santa Monica- Malibu district as it has on other districts, especially because of the already high standards set for achievement. Though the intentions were good with NCLB, Snell said he feels that the act shouldn’t penalize school districts without first giving them the support to be able to meet those goals. “It truly affects those school districts truly overburdened with constraints,” Snell said on Friday. “That’s where I think it really falls short.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092907.pdf?ref=smdp.com)