NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: NOT THE ANSWER
Though the aspirations of the Bush administration seem noble at the forefront, the No Child Left Behind Act has proven faulty on several occasions. Under the new guidelines, states are required to create standards which each student must reach in order to progress to the next grade level. These standardized tests, which vary immensely from state-to-state, are creating major holes in America's public education system.

A Tight Curriculum
First and foremost, the tests create major limitations on what is taught in the classroom. Due to grants and incentives to reach Adequate Yearly Progress(AYP), teachers are now encouraged to "teach to the tests." The result is a largely narrowed curriculum. The consensus is: "if the item is not on the test, it is unlikely to be taught." (Graham, p. 17) If indeed the tests included more insight and value, the strategy might be more widely embraced. But the reality is that teaching to standards and tests is a poor replacement for a demanding, insightful, and rigorous curriculum. Favoring strict tests erases creativity, the arts, and much investigative learning in schools. By using tests to evaluate intelligence, we ignore the importance of the imagination and alternative interests, while similarly stifling creativity. Through "teaching to the tests," we fail to provide the inspiration which should be required of the school system and we fail to assess true academic achievement. (Graham, p. 17). In fact, in one Virginia school, where the tests were taken very seriously, intense 120-minute reading and math periods were installed, while music time was cut in half and physical education was reduced from 120-minutes a week to 90-minutes. In a Washington-based Center on Education Policy, research found that 27% of American school systems are spending less time on social studies, while 25% say they are spending less time on science, art, and music. Many parents seem largely concerned over the narrowing curriculum in their children's schools. (Graham, p. 18) Experts suggest that excluding the arts is a major mistake in the standardization of America.

One of the brightest minds of human history, Albert Einstein rejected the confines of society. He redefines knowledge for our society as one of the most ingenious inventors to date and in fact considers his own imagination was more important that general knowledge:

Creative stimulation is proving time and time again to be vital in the development of high school students; however with the influx of standardized tests and "teaching to the tests," much creative stimulation is being lost. Specialists support "aesthetic education and immersion in the world of the arts" to help students discern life processes, evaluate relationships, and encourage creative insight into educational pursuits. ("Getting It!") They suggest more creative pursuits in schools in order to develop students' perceptions of ideas, relationships, and problem solving, while also enhancing a student's ability to understand and find deeper meaning in concepts. In addition, studies suggest that active use of the imagination allows students to deal better with adolescent struggles. ("Getting It!")

Failing Schools Breed Failing Schools

The main goal of the No Child Left Behind Act was to make schools accountable for the educational achievements of their students by forcing them to shape up or close down. In cases where schools fail to meet requirements of AYP, the problem is solved by providing the option for out-of-school tutoring or student transfer. With a school’s repeated failure, it is eventually shut down and students are forced to transfer out to more successful schools. While the principle seems admirable, it's application is widely unsuccessful. First, because of the government's requirement for achievement in order to gain funding as well as it's option for student transfer from a failing school, it makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a failing school to become successful. Moreover, the influx of student transfer from failing systems to higher achieving schools will undoubtedly create lowered scores at the successful school, resulting in a trend of condemned schools. (Graham, p. 6)

According to this set of laws, states must create standards for each student to reach in order to progress to the next grade level. Not only do these standards vary immensely from state to state, but due to strict guidelines, they will surely spark an increase in high school dropouts, particularly in large cities. The Children’s Defense Fund estimates that every school day in America, 2,539 students become high school dropouts. In New York City, only 18% of children graduate in four years with a Regents diploma-which leaves many incapable of passing basic math and reading tests. Meanwhile, only a mere 10% of the City’s black and Hispanic students graduate with Regents diploma. By expecting such students to achieve, let alone improve on standardized tests continuously failing students will sooner consider dropping out over shaping up even more. Administrators may even go as far as encouraging counter-productive students to drop out in order to up AYP scores. (Williams, p. 12)