There is a No Child Left Behind Act in many states and all I can get out of it is that the tests such as End Of Course Tests and Graduation Tests just seem to make it harder on kids to pass at all. So if there is a No Child Left Behind law then shouldn't it make it easier to not have so many tests that are being crammed in these kids' minds? I mean I understand that we need certain tests but that is what finals are for at the end of a semester, not 3 or 4 tests throughout the year.
210678
It's pointless, and only encourages socialism, which forces everyone to conform, think, and act alike.\n\nAll it does is create fear and paranoia into the kids and the school systems.\n\nI thank God my children are in a school that strongly hates the NCLB act, and should be taught under God's prniciples.
124217
Most of those kids have NO CLUE as to the reason they are walking out of school.   They simply desire to get out of as many classes as possible.   \n\nAlso, it was noted by many teachers on Friday that the kids that left school were the ones who had the lowest grades!!\n\nTHEY DON"T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!
117967
I agree with doing away with compulsory attendance laws, but with limitations. I disagree with some states (like Florida) who suspend a kid's driver's license if they are under 18 and drop out. If a kid doesn't want to go to school, let them stay home ! They're just a distraction for those kids who do want to learn.\n\nAs for the limitations I mentioned above, I think the danger is that parents will simply say they are homeschooling their kids and really, having them working on some money-making venture.\n\nI am all for parents educating a kid in whatever manner they please- as long as they are trying to get them an education.
234010
It depends on the school.  I know there are a lot of schools up here that require at least a 2 year college degree.  Actually, I think that with the No Child Left Behind act, you need a 2 year degree.
604143
They're all Ability to Benefit tests that schools use to gauge their applicants' scholastic aptitude (and/or their readiness for higher education).\n\nThe SAT is probably the most widely-used of the ones you mention -- most schools will take it and many schools won't take anything else, which is why so many students go this route first.  Your school will determine which tests they accept and might be able to give you recommendations as to which one(s) they prefer.  You probably won't want to go take a test before knowing that they accept it.
605390
I took a quick glance at it and it still seems similar to the regulations that are already in place here in Massachusetts.\n\nMany of my special education parents are involved...some are TOO involved.  Unfortunately there are many as well that are not invested.  \n\nI do think it is important to keep parents involved and up to date with their child's educational concerns.  It is a crucial role in the meeting for you ALL to agree on the appropriate accommodations/modifications necessary for a child to succeed.  However, I do feel that there are some parents who hold their child back from succeeding because they are scared.  For example, this coming school year I would like to take my small group students in my math class (all 3 of them) into the regular education setting.  I have a rough feeling that one particular parent will not allow this.  Why...I don't know.\n\nI feel that IDEA is giving parents more and more rights/responsibilities.  Perhaps in the future it will look at schools as well and give them equal rights.  It seems that the parents are driving the force behind many choices legislature and administration are creating.
587133
With many high school students so apathetic about their high-school education (it seems like the majority) the higher education organizations need to decide the ones who will will benefit the most or who has the drive to be a student. The SATs and ACTs are a way of measuring this but of course there are limitations with this approach.
427929
Being a music education major in college, I think that the reason music isn't a mandatory subject is because the abstractness of the arts in general. There isn't such a thing as a standardized test for any arts, therefore there isn't a way to measure how well the students are doing, and if it's impacting their intelligence (which is ironic, because there are several studies that show students who are involved in the arts get higher grades in the "core" subject). Or it could be the fact the the no child left behind act is about learning the skills to create weapons (math and science) and boosting up the literacy rate (reading). Therefore music has nothing to do with bombs or literacy rate so who cares about it right? (This last point is my own theory)\n\nTo the address the jazz question:\nI students would benefit from studying jazz and it's origin, seeing that Jazz is one of the few original American art forms. I feel that classical training is a good thing, but incorporating jazz and other American art forms in there is crucial for a well rounded study of music. Also, jazz is just fun to play, and promotes creativity thought improvisation.
523690
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act
189274
It's called the"No Child Left Behind".lol
619178
President Bush made a commitment to ensure that all children receive a high quality education so that no child is left behind. And just one year after the President first took office, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed overwhelmingly with support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. NCLB has led to higher standards and greater accountability throughout the Nation's school systems. Here are some key facts and terms that you should know about how this historic law helps your child:\n\nThe Facts About No Child Left Behind\n      Funding: No Child Left Behind gives school districts more money. In fact, President Bush and Congress are spending more money than ever before on the education of America's children.\n    *\n      Flexibility: No Child Left Behind gives states and school districts more control and more flexibility to use resources where they are needed most. Principals and administrators will spend less time filling out forms and more time helping your child learn.\n    *\n      Accountability: No Child Left Behind holds schools and school districts accountable for results. Schools are responsible for making sure your child is learning.\n    *\n      School District Report Cards: No Child Left Behind gives parents report cards so they can see which schools in their district are succeeding and why. With this information, No Child Left Behind gives parents, community leaders, teachers, principals, and elected leaders the information they need to improve schools.\n    *\n      Public School Choice: No Child Left Behind may let you transfer your child to another public school if the state says that your child's school is "in need of improvement." Your school district may pay for transportation for your child. Contact your child's school district to find out if your child has this opportunity.\n    *\n      Extra Help with Learning: No Child Left Behind may also provide your child with free tutoring and extra help with schoolwork if the state says your child's school has been "in need of improvement" for at least 2 years. This extra help is often referred to as Supplemental Educational Services. Contact your child's school district to find out if your child qualifies.\n    *\n      Parental Involvement: No Child Left Behind requires schools to develop ways to get parents more involved in their child's education and in improving the school. Contact your child's school to find out how you can get involved.\n    *\n      Measuring Knowledge: No Child Left Behind requires states to test your child in reading and math every year in grades 3-8. Your child will also be tested at least once in high school. The tests will help you, your child, and your child's teachers know how well your child is learning and when he or she needs extra help.\n    *\n      Scientifically Based Research: No Child Left Behind focuses on teaching methods that have been proven by research to work. There will be no more experimenting on children with educational fads.\n    *\n      Reading First: No Child Left Behind provides more than one billion dollars a year to help children learn to read. Reading First is the part of No Child Left Behind that is dedicated to ensuring all children learn to read on grade level by the third grade. Reading First provides money to states and many school districts to support high quality reading programs based on the best scientific research. Contact your child's school district to find out if its reading program is based on research.\n    *\n      Teacher Quality: No Child Left Behind provides funding to help teachers learn to be better teachers.
38601
I don't think we're holding our kids to high enough standards. I think kids are getting passed when they really don't deserve it. Just for example, look at some of the spelling and grammar on Yahoo Answers. How did some of these people pass in school?
289863
well depending on wether you go to a private or not the consequences will very. Usually in private schools it is very harsh. eg failure etc but in public schools u usually just have to sit the test again. it's not worth it.
667970
Most schools now revolve  around mandatory test. that way they can get the students to pass it. It ridicules that there are so many standardized test for students to take.
664881
It depends on the class level. I find that a lot of students don't care about their grades and slack off until they get towards the end of the marking period and then start to freak out asking me if they're going to fail and what they can do now so that they don't fail. But, that's mostly in my lower-level classes. In my high-level classes, I have kids that freak out over a B and kids that won't accept anything less than an A. Yes, sometimes the pressure does come from the parents, but I've found that more often than not, the pressure comes from within the kid. They want to get into a good college, they want to get scholarships, they want to be valedictorian, and on and on. At the high school level (I teach 11th grade history), parents can no longer motivate the students. The students have to motivate themselves. Parents can punish, parents can yell, parents can stand over the kid while they do their homework, but overall, the kids have to be the ones who want the grades.
245096
This is an alternative to a high school diploma for those students who cannot earn a diploma/pass exit exam.  These are generally special needs students.  This has existed in Indiana for five or more years, since the inception of the 'Gradulation Qualifying Exam' given in grade 10. (and students have five tries to pass it).  Generally parents and students know by 8th grade if the student should be working towards actual high school graduation or a certificate of attendance.  These students are generally more severly disabled (most LD students are far too high functioning)
448529
I'm also an inncer-city teacher and I can relate to your concerns.  Part of the problem is that the tests are supposedly designed to measure students' grasp of underlying concepts.  But that's not what they actually measure.  They are mostly word problems, so in the end they are primarily testing the students' verbal skills.  A very bright math student who can manipulate numbers expertly, or a very slow student who can demonstrate understanding using manipulatives, will both fail a standardized test if they can't read and comprehend the test questions.\n\nI've found that my urban students have a lot of trouble with word problems.  One teaching strategy that I had some success with was teaching them how to "decode" test questions.  In other words, I literally gave them lists of key terms in word problems and what they mean.  So at the very least, they knew that if the question asked "how many more," they had to subtract.  But I'm talking about 3rd graders here.  I don't know how well that would apply to higher level math.\n\nThe bottom line is that if you want test results, you have to make some time to teach test prep.  I would guess that your kids who can't sit still during the test are feeling really intimidated.  Often, kids who are perfectly capable of doing the work just freeze up when they see a test.  The only real way to combat this is to familiarize the kids with the test format.  Help them to understand how the test is structured, and give them tools for attacking the questions that they CAN answer.  It's important for the kids to understand that even if questions 1 and 2 look impossible, question 3 might be something you know.  So don't get bogged down.  It's stuff that seems intuitive to adults, but children who are not accustomed to feeling successful don't automatically have these "habits of mind," if you will.\n\nI say, take some portion of the day or week to do test prep.  Help the kids make the connection between the engaging, hands-on stuff and the test questions.  It's really the only way to raise scores.