No Child Left Behind Act..

Historically, the job of educating people has been left up to both local and state governments. However, in 1965, recognizing the universal importance of education, the federal government took on a larger role in financing public schools with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
ESEA has continued to assist the states through reauthorizations, and in 2001 it included No Child Left Behind. It asked the states to set standards for teacher quality and student performance.
According to a January 2007 U.S. Department of Education report titled, “Building on Results: A Blueprint for Strengthening the No Child Left Behind Act”, on January 8, 2002, President Bush signed the landmark No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law. This act was passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress. It was designed to end bigotry and low expectations so that, as the President said, “All students will have a better chance to learn, to excel, and to live out their dreams.” Academic standards would be set by states, schools would be held accountable for results, and the federal government would support them. This Act is challenging our students to succeed and our schools to improve.
The report also states, “No Child Left Behind is a work in progress; every day, we learn what works so students can make greater progress.” The data and information collected over the past five years after the law’s passage helps to determine what actions must be taken to continually succeed.