Resolved: An ideal form of No Child Left Behind would be beneficial to the welfare of the USA

I stand in affirmation of the resolution: an ideal form of No Child Left Behind (hereafter referred to as NCLB) would be beneficial to the welfare of the United States. ==== DEFINITIONS ==== D1: Ideal a] Most suitable; perfect. [1] b] Desirable or perfect but existing only in the imagination. [1] D2: Form of NCLB A form of NCLB will be defined as having at least the same goals as NCLB and at least some of the means NCLB attempts to use to reach its goals. Goal of NCLB: Ga] To improve individual outcomes in education. [2] Gb] To obtain an education system that will cater to the needs of more students. Means of NCLB: Ma] Setting high standards and establishing measurable goals. [2] Mb] Emphasis on standardized testing. [2] Mc] Increased ability for parents to switch their children to different schools. [2] D3: Welfare Health, happiness, and fortune. [3] [1] Oxford Dictionary - Definition of ideal: http://www.askoxford.com... [2] Wikipedia - No Child Left Behind Act: http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] http://www.askoxford.com... ==== OBSERVATIONS ==== O1: Problems with NCLB should be ignored. There are many purported problems with NCLB. For instance, many claim that it allows states and schools to 'game' the system, making it seem that they are doing a better job of ecucating their students when in reality they are not. Such problems should not be considered in this debate. An "ideal" form of NCLB would not include these problems, or it would contain provisions to eliminate these problems. CON may, however, argue that a specific problem is _impossible_ to avoid while still being considered a form of NCLB - such a problem is not covered under this observation. O2: CON may argue that the effect on the welfare of the US would be either negative OR zero. Since both those positions can negate the resolution. ==== CONTENTIONS ==== C1: A system which increases education for all groups, not just the lower tier. Such a system is possible because of D2Mc, the ability for parents to switch schools if their child's current school is not the best place for him/her. If a school is either failing to teach at a high enough level or teaching at too high of a level for a student, parents would be able to switch the student to a more suitable school. This would certainly be a form of NCLB. Both intended goals of NCLB are met, and it relies on at least both D2Ma and D2Mc. Standardized testing (D2Mb) would also probably be used, although there would be provisions to stop teachers from 'teaching to the test.' This system would certainly increase the welfare of the USA. First, since education is a fulfilling end in itself, people would be happier with themselves. Second, since the higher-tier students would be taught at a more aggressive rate, more people would be able to be doctors and able to successfully find cures and develop new drugs, increasing health. And certainly this would increase fortune as well, since students would be quite fortunate to be able to switch to the school that best suits their educational needs. Therefore, this plan increases welfare on all three fronts - happiness, health, and fortune. I look forward to an interesting debate, I wish my opponent good luck, and I thank the judges and audience for reading. Also, I reserve the right to add more contentions in my second round.