How Has NCLB Affected Student Performance?

Summary 

Kinnucan et al. (2012) research focuses on Alabama State as it was among the regions that were targeted for the No Child Left behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The legislation aimed to give sufficient resources to schools, especially those deprived of resources, to support each learner to gain proficiency in basic skills such as reading and arithmetic at elementary school and secondary school levels. 

The study identifies various variables that could impact the learner outcomes in the NCLB program and hopes to inform stakeholders on areas of improvement. First, the poverty level is a significant factor to consider since the 67 counties of Alabama register a poverty rate of 25 %( Kinnucan et al., 2012 p.5). Other variables include teachers’ pay, median family income, size of the classroom, and the amount of state funding to the school. Also important is the consideration of the Education Accountability Plan of Alabama which was rolled out in 1995-1996. Thus, schools are expected to be accountable in the areas of learner achievement, discipline, finances, and school safety. 

The study reviews the SAT performance of learners in 67 counties of Alabama from 1999-2007 at the 4th and 8th grades. The findings reveal that the NCLB act contributed to a 2.6% decrease in reading and 0.6% for math (Kinnucan et al., 2012 p.13). However, there was an increase of 3.2 % in language competency. As a ratio, it points out that the NCLB did little to improve the overall basic skills for learners in elementary school. Therefore, a revision of the plan will go a long way to improve learning outcomes. 

Critical Analysis 

The research by Kinnucan et al. sought to find out whether the NCLB act had any significant impacts in the language, reading, and arithmetic competencies of elementary school learners in Alabama State. To get compelling results, the researchers ensured the study fell within the period when accountability was instilled in the education systems of the state. 

The study population included 67 county systems of Alabama from 1999-2007. The researcher focused on 4th and 8th-grade scores in language, reading, and math from the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) which was conducted yearly. The research design adopted Hanushek and Raymond’s (2005) formula for determining student outcomes (Kinnucan et al., 2012 P.8): 

A breakdown of the notation is as follows: 

O- Student outcomes 

Ct - county, year 

X ct - vector of non-school inputs such as family; 

R ct - vector of school inputs 

A t - gauge of the accountability system 

ρ c - effect of policies 

ε ct -idiosyncratic error 

Data for the research was sourced from the State Board of Education (SBE) districts in Alabama State, and the information was fed electronically to computer databases. Afterward, the various variables in the learner outcomes equation were modeled using the Generalized Methods of Moments which ensures a balance between instruments and parameters (Kinnucan et al., 2012 p. 11). The data analysis method used WAS multiple regression to find out how various dependent variable affect independent ones to bring about a change in learner outcomes. 

The study opens room for future research. The investigation revealed that the NCLB act was not instrumental enough in improving learner’s competency in arithmetic. The only field that posted positive results was in the language arena (Kinnucan et al., 2012 p.13). Therefore, future research should aim at finding out why there could be one-sided improvements in the whole state. One threat to the validity of the finding of this research would be their reliance on a design methodology that was used by researchers in the same state some years back. The only thing added to this research is the aspect of state accountability which is hard to be quantified given its abstract nature. 

References 

Kinnucan, H. W., Smith, M. D., Zheng, Y., & Llanes, J. R. (2012). The effects of No Child Left Behind on student performance in Alabama’s rural schools.    Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies ,    12 (1), 5-24.