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New Center on Education Policy Report:

Schools Lack Funding to Comply with No Child Left Behind

Report’s Release Follows News That More Schools Have Failed to Meet Law’s Standards

"No Child Left Behind" has put a burden on schools, educators and education support professionals to comply with strict federal standards without supplying federal money to make necessary changes, according to a report released from the Center on Education Policy. Approximately 80 percent of school districts said they have costs associated with the law not covered by federal funding.

The law’s heavy emphasis on reading and math tests has prompted thousands of schools to reduce, and even eliminate, time spent on other subjects, the report said.  The law requires annual exams in those two subjects, and punishes schools that don’t make the grade. As a result, since 2002, when the law was passed, 71 percent of the nation's 15,000 school districts have reduced time spent on subjects like art, social studies and history.

The report’s release follows news this week of statistics reported to the Education Department that 27 percent of schools failed to meet “annual yearly progress” under the law for 2004-2005, a one percentage point increase from 2003-2004. Schools that fail to meet annual yearly progress face stiff penalties.

“Lawmakers say they want accountability, they want results, but they won’t back up the rhetoric. Schools are already hurting because No Child Left Behind has been underfunded by approximately $40 billion," said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association. "Now, Congress is talking about cutting even more, as part of the biggest cuts in the history of the Education Department as proposed by the president. If these lawmakers aren’t held accountable for these cuts, students are going to feel the impact for years to come."

“It should come as no surprise that schools are having a hard time meeting the one size fits all standards of the law. If lawmakers are serious about schools complying with No Child Left Behind, they should give schools the resources they need. The House Budget Committee is meeting to markup the budget bill, and lawmakers have the opportunity to get things right by undoing these cuts," he said.

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