ABSTRACT
This monumental collection presents the first-ever sociological analysis of the No Child Left Behind Act and its effects on children, teachers, parents, and schools. More importantly, these leading sociologists consider whether NLCB can or will accomplish its major goal: to eliminate the achievement gap by 2014. Based on theoretical and empirical research, the essays examine the history of federal educational policy and place NCLB in a larger sociological and historical context. Taking up a number of policy areas affected by the law—including accountability and assessment, curriculum and instruction, teacher quality, parental involvement, school choice and urban education—this book examines the effects of NCLB on different groups of students and schools and the ways in which school organization and structure affect achievement. No Child Left Behind concludes with a discussion of the important contributions of sociological research and sociological analysis integral to understanding the limits and possibilities of the law to reduce the achievement gap.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|11 pages
Federal and State Educational Policy and NCLB
part II|92 pages
Accountability and Assessment
chapter 4|19 pages
Who Counts for Accountability?
chapter 5|18 pages
Inside the Black Box of Accountability
part III|86 pages
Teaching and Teacher Quality
chapter 6|13 pages
State Policy Activity under NCLB
part IV|94 pages
School Choice and Parental Involvement
chapter 11|15 pages
When School Choice Leaves Many Children Behind
chapter 12|24 pages
Nonpromotional School Change and the Achievement of Texas Students
chapter 13|13 pages
Research Meets Policy and Practice
chapter 14|14 pages
Getting Families Involved with NCLB
part V|79 pages
Federal Involvement, NCLB, and the Reduction of the Achievement Gap