Source Note: “What is Measured is Treasured: The Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on Nonassessed Subjects

March 5, 2009 in Research Project

Title: “What is Measured is Treasured: The Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on Nonassessed Subjects”

Summary: A 2007 research study reveals No Child Left Behind may be forcing teachers to bypass traditional instruction in the social sciences.

Topic: Should the Obama Administration reform the No Child Left Behind Act?

Category: Academic; Research Study

Publication Information: Clearing House, July/August 2007, Volume 80, Issue 6, p287-291

Author: Patricia Velde Peterson

Location: EBSCOhost

Accessed: March 4, 2009

Support:

• Survey of 46 States regarding testing of social studies: The survey compared results from both 2001 and 2005. In 2001, only 27 states tested social studies proficiency on the state level, with just 14 of them factoring performance into their state accountability. In 2005, less than 19 states conducted social studies assessment, and only 8 of them were still factoring the scores into their state-level accountability guidelines.
• Survey of 46 states regarding testing of arts and humanities: In 2001, 5 states tested for the arts and humanities, with 3 of them weighing the results against state accountability guidelines. By 2005, only one school was still testing in the arts and humanities (the results of which were factored in reviews under state accountability requirements.)

Audience and Agenda: The Clearing House is a bimonthly scholarly journal geared towards secondary education issues. Regular content includes analysis of education programs, research surveys of public schools, and articles on school administration.

Usefulness: Peterson’s article examines the effects of NCLB’s emphasis on math and reading on the fate of other traditional secondary school curricula. While some scholars have argued that No Child Left Behind has helped specific nonassessed subjects regain their foothold in the classroom, the 2001-2005 survey analyzed by Peterson demonstrates that, overall, the bulk of these subjects have seen significant decreases in classroom instruction and assessment. This makes the article compelling support for the “reform” argument of my research topic area.

Works cited:

“Heldref Publications: The Clearing House,” http://www.heldref.org/tch.php

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