NCLB Basic Questions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What did NCLB require states to report about teacher qualifications?
- The salary of every teacher in the district
- Whether each teacher was 'Highly Qualified' in the subjects they taught (Correct answer)
- Teachers' college GPAs and test scores
- The number of continuing education hours completed annually
Correct answer: Whether each teacher was 'Highly Qualified' in the subjects they taught
NCLB required states and districts to publicly report which teachers met the 'Highly Qualified' definition for the subjects they taught.
Question 2: Which of the following is a key criticism of NCLB's accountability system?
- It reduced the amount of standardized testing
- It encouraged 'teaching to the test' at the expense of a broader curriculum (Correct answer)
- It gave too much flexibility to states
- It eliminated the role of the federal government in education
Correct answer: It encouraged 'teaching to the test' at the expense of a broader curriculum
A major criticism of NCLB was that high-stakes testing pressures led teachers to narrow the curriculum by focusing predominantly on tested subjects.
Question 3: Under NCLB, what happened after a school failed AYP for three consecutive years?
- The school was restructured
- Students received public school choice and supplemental educational services (Correct answer)
- The school was closed
- The principal was automatically removed
Correct answer: Students received public school choice and supplemental educational services
After three consecutive years of missing AYP, eligible students were entitled to both public school choice and supplemental educational services such as tutoring.
Question 4: NCLB required disaggregated data reporting for which racial and ethnic subgroups?
- Only African American and Hispanic students
- White, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students (Correct answer)
- Any group comprising more than 25% of the student population
- Subgroups defined solely by the state
Correct answer: White, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students
NCLB mandated separate reporting for White, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students.
Question 5: What law replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015?
- Race to the Top Act
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Correct answer)
- Common Core Standards Act
- Excellence in Education Act
Correct answer: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by President Obama in December 2015, replaced NCLB and shifted more authority back to states.
Question 6: Under NCLB, how were Title I funds primarily used?
- To build new school facilities
- To support educational programs for disadvantaged students (Correct answer)
- To fund teacher retirement pensions
- To purchase standardized testing materials
Correct answer: To support educational programs for disadvantaged students
Title I funds under NCLB were directed toward improving educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged students.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'safe harbor' provision in NCLB?
- A rule allowing schools in unsafe neighborhoods to skip testing
- An alternative AYP criterion allowing schools to qualify if they reduced the percent of non-proficient students by 10% (Correct answer)
- A waiver for schools that demonstrated financial hardship
- A provision protecting teachers from dismissal during restructuring
Correct answer: An alternative AYP criterion allowing schools to qualify if they reduced the percent of non-proficient students by 10%
The safe harbor provision allowed schools to meet AYP if they reduced the percentage of non-proficient students by at least 10% from the prior year.
NCLB Basic Questions 4
What did NCLB require states to report about teacher qualifications?