ABSTRACT
In theory, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, as its name suggests, was to narrow the still growing achievement gap for minority, low-income, and other disadvantaged children by leveling the prospects for securing a quality public education. Now, more than a decade after its enactment and while subject to reauthorization, the law has spurred more controversy than it has fulfilled its ideal for equality in public education, especially for these groups. This entry traces its odyssey and challenges since implementation, and yet the promise that the law may still hold for closing the achievement gap for students among society’s most vulnerable groups.
