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The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Program established in 2002 to reform education and take us back to the basics (3Rs - reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic) is little understood, even by those with kids in school. The NCLB Program established several goals designed to achieve higher-quality education for students and improve teacher quality. Although both goals are admirable, is this really what happens in classrooms today? To understand how NCLB program's goals influence teaching and learning, let's take a quick look under the hood and see the reality of these two goals.

The goal of students taught by highly qualified teachers is achievable. Every State has its own strategy to achieve this goal (NCLB allows states to determine their own definition of a highly qualified teacher and how to obtain this status). Some states changed their teacher certifications from certified for life and no further professional development required, to a program that teachers must recertify every five years. Many states had a similar program in place prior to NCLB and retained the policy. Teachers must complete professional development requirements to remain current in teaching strategies, along with new knowledge about the subject they teach. There are two paths teachers take to recertification: complete two college courses or complete 180 recertification points in professional development related to their certification. Or they complete a combination of the two; one college course and 90 recertification points in professional development. With this recertification policy, what is the impact on teaching and learning today?

The reality is that teachers, no matter how highly qualified, are pressured at all levels to ensure their students pass State tests. To accomplish this, school administrators stress more and more need to improve student test taking skills. This results in less time for teachers to actually teach and students to learn. Students take endless practice tests to determine weak areas, so they can take another round of practice tests to strengthen weak areas. The whole purpose of this endless test practicing is to ensure students know how to take and pass State tests. Highly qualified teachers reduced to test proctors, spend little time teaching subjects to students. When teachers are not proctoring practice tests, they concentrate on memorization of facts skills. Many teachers eliminated activities that allow students to be involved in the learning process to allow

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