Despite all the good news, there are some issues that critics have raised with regards to NCLB. They include:
1. Test score improvement
As we saw, proponents of NCLB point out that test scores have improved since 2002. But critics aren't sure that the law is responsible for that. They point out that even before NCLB, the schools that were giving tests saw test score improvements since the 1980s.
In the 1970s, more students than ever before began taking tests. Some of these were given by schools, and others, like the SAT and ACT, were optional tests that became really popular in the 70s. Because not just the smart kids were taking those tests, scores declined dramatically in the 70s and early 80s. But they have steadily increased since then. Critics of NCLB point out that just because scores have improved doesn't mean that the law has had an effect.
2. Teaching to the test
Because NCLB comes with the threat that schools could lose their funding, teachers are pressured to teach to the test or focus solely on how to take the test and what is likely to be on it. But this takes away from deeper teaching and learning that could be done if schools weren't so pressured to teach to the test.
3. Cuts due to focus and under-funding
NCLB only mandated that schools test in the areas of math and language arts. Because of that, and because NCLB was underfunded, schools have had to make cuts in other areas, including social studies, science, art, and physical education.
4. Unfair burden on poor schools
As we mentioned, NCLB is linked in part to Title I funding, which goes to the poorest schools in the country. Because the penalty for not doing well on tests is to lose Title I funding, schools that don't have Title I funding are not penalized for low test scores. But the schools who receive Title I funding can lose their federal money, which is a big deal for a school that services mostly poor students.
