K-12 Education: Highlights of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110)

Publication Date: January 2008

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

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Abstract:

On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, legislation to extend and revise the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), was signed into law as P.L. 107-110. This legislation extensively amended and reauthorized most federal elementary and secondary education aid programs.

Major features of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 include the following: (a) states were required to implement standards-based assessments in reading and mathematics for pupils in each of grades 3-8 by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, and at three grade levels in science by the end of the 2007-2008 school year; (b) grants are provided to states for assessment development; (c) all states are required to participate in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests in 4th and 8th grade reading and mathematics every second year; (d) states must annually apply adequate yearly progress (AYP) standards, incorporating a goal of all pupils reaching a proficient or higher level of achievement by the end of the 2013-14 school year, to each public school, local education agency (LEA), and the state overall; (e) a sequence of consequences, including public school choice and supplemental services options, must be implemented for schools and LEAs that fail to meet AYP standards for two or more consecutive years; (f) ESEA Title I-A allocation formulas have been modified to increase targeting on high-poverty LEAs and to move Puerto Rico toward parity with the states; (g) by the end of the 2005-06 school year, all paraprofessionals paid with Title I-A funds must have completed at least two years of higher education or met a "rigorous standard of quality"; (h) several new programs aimed at improving reading instruction have been initiated; (i) teacher programs have been consolidated into a state grant authorizing a wide range of activities including teacher recruitment, professional development, and hiring; (j) states and LEAs participating in Title I-A must ensure that teachers meet the act's definition of "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-2006 school year; (k) almost all states and LEAs are authorized to transfer a portion of the funds they receive among several programs; (l) federal support of public school choice has been expanded in several respects; (m) several previous programs have been consolidated into a state grant supporting integration of technology into K-12 education; (n) the Bilingual and Emergency Immigrant Education Acts have been consolidated into a single formula grant, with previous limits on the share of grants for specific instructional approaches eliminated; and (o) the 21st Century Community Learning Center program has been converted into a formula grant with increased focus on after-school activities.

ESEA programs are authorized through FY2008, and it is generally assumed that the 110th Congress will actively consider legislation to amend and extend the ESEA.