No Child Left Behind: Help for

Students and Their Families

SM
“The No Child Left Behind Act understands

that there needs to be flexibility and local

control of schools.”

—President George W. Bush 

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 helps to

ensure that all children receive a high-quality

education and holds schools responsible for making

sure that all children are learning. The information

below is consistent with this important law. 

Benefits of No Child Left Behind for 

Parents and Children

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires that parents receive certain information

about their child’s education—for example, the child’s progress in reading, math

and science, as well as the overall performance of the child’s school on state tests

in these subjects. NCLB gives funding for early childhood learning; allows for

more spending on each student, especially disadvantaged students; and, in some

cases, provides the chance for children to attend better schools regardless of where

they live. NCLB also requires that every class of “core” subjects have a highly

qualified teacher and encourages schools to teach based on ideas and methods that

have been scientifically shown to work. 
“We must—and we will—recognize and

cherish our opportunity to improve the

life of every single child, including the

growing millions of those who are

learning English as a second language.”

—Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
School Performance and Testing

Just as student report cards explain how well your child is doing, districts must

now make reports available explaining how well all of their students are doing

on state-required tests. These report cards must also explain the qualifications of

the teachers who work in the district’s schools. If many students in a school

continue to perform poorly on state tests over two years or longer, or are not

making sufficient progress, No Child Left Behind requires, among other things,

that the school take steps to improve or, in some cases, even requires that the

school change how it operates.

Students’ test results tell states and parents how well both schools and students

are performing in important subject areas. As a parent, you must be given your

child’s test scores and those scores will be kept private. Also, if your child has a

disability or can’t speak English well, his or her teachers must make sure that

your child is tested fairly. 

No Child Left Behind and Reading

Research shows that children who learn to read well in the early grades are more

likely to be successful as they get older, and that those who start out behind in

reading often stay behind. Reading well leads to success in other subjects and

reduces the chance that a student will drop out of school. NCLB helps schools

to offer reading programs that have been shown to be successful by focusing on,

for example, hearing and speaking sounds, how letters make words, how to read

quickly and understand what is read, and what certain words mean.

More Options, More Choices

In addition to focusing on reading, NCLB ensures options for students who

attend schools that need improvement as shown by their state tests. These

schools must let parents know what their choices are for selecting another school

for their child. Options like magnet schools and charter schools may be

solutions for students who did not have success in their original school. Parents

interested in such programs should find out about application processes, which

often begin a year in advance. 
NOTE: This document contains information about and from public and private entities and organizations

for the reader’s information. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department

of Education of any entity, organization, products or services offered or views expressed. This

publication also contains hyperlinks and URLs created and maintained by outside organizations and

provided for the reader’s convenience. The Department is not responsible for the accuracy of

information found in them.

Better Teachers, Safer Schools, Extra Help

NCLB requires that our schools have highly qualified teachers for all core

courses. You can ask how much education a teacher has had, as well as how

much teaching experience. The law provides funds to schools that are trying to

improve the quality of teachers they hire. NCLB also gives funds to states and

school districts trying to prevent the illegal use of tobacco, alcohol and other

drugs by students, as well as those trying to prevent violence. Lastly, parents

should be aware that their child may be able to receive extra help in the form of

tutoring or other after-school supplemental educational services if they attend a

school that is “in need of improvement” for at least two years, as shown by how

students perform on state tests, and if the child is eligible. Parents of an eligible

student attending such a school must be told by the local school district about

the availability of these services.

Examples of Resources

U.S. Department of Education: www.ed.gov or

http://www.ed.gov/espanol/bienvenidos/es/index.html?src=gu

or call 1-800-USA-LEARN

To locate a specific state education agency:

http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD

To locate a specific school: http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/

NCLB and reading: www.readingfirstsupport.us 

NCLB and supplemental educational services:

http://www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/help/ses/index.html