McDonnell, Lorraine M. (2005). No Child Left Behind and the Federal Role in Education: Evolution or Revolution?

This article examines the interrelationships of various educational agencies at the federal, state and local levels. It identifies the intended roles of these organizations and recognizes their purpose and limitations from a historical perspective. There are comparisons made between both the Title1 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates. It also helps in understanding the political agenda of NCLB. After having read other documents such as, "No Child Left Behind" in Urban Education: Solving a Crisis or Creating One and “Cooking the Books” by S. Macrine, this article offered a perspective that broadened my understanding of the issues confronting these policies

As we well know there are major issues concerning the policies of NCLB. However it is our responsibility as educators to research information that supports our concerns. One issue that continuously comes to the forefront of these policies is accountability and the imperatives associated with it.

Have these educational policies shifted their intended focus to other areas or are they just subtle transformations? One could argue that nothing has significantly changed since the 1960’s. However it appears that during each change government administration has created a need to approach dilemmas in new ways.

The ideology that justified public education was beginning to shift its focus in the 1980’s. This article explains that it went from remedying the effects of past injustices to promoting broad-based access to tools necessary for economic self-sufficiency. During the 1990’s the educational reform issues moved toward core instruction. Over time research evidence suggested that standardized tests were one of the most powerful tools that politicians had at their disposal.

According to this article there has been more of an evolution than a revolution with educational policies and that there has not been in radical changes made in either of the aforementioned mandates.