Reflection #3: No Child Left Behind

     As a student teacher, I have mixed feelings on the issue of inclusion. Addressing the needs of all students is not an option for schools and teachers – every student should have the opportunity to excel in education. However, how the needs are addressed for the students is a complicated issue. While inclusion has given some students the opportunity to become a part of a “regular” classroom, I feel that inclusion could have just as big of an impact on non-disabled students as they also learn how to help and work with students who are considered part of “special education.” On the other hand, inclusion creates difficulties for teachers who are already struggling to reach all of their students. Once they are put in the “regular” classroom, students with special needs are treated, along with education in general, “as an assembly line” (Randolph and Wilson-Younger, p.5). Although the No Child Left Behind Act and teachers across the country have strived to help students succeed, the assembly line of inclusion is “contrary to the belief that each child needs to be treated as an individual and have their education tailored to fit their specific needs” according to Randolph and Wilson-Younger (p.5). As I have spent time both observing and teaching throughout the semester, the need for smaller classes has become apparent. One day in class, we were working on expository essays with our students. We used the same prompt for each period, reviewed how to write an expository essay with the students, asking questions to check for understanding, and then we allowed them the rest of the class period to complete the essay. After each period, my cooperating teacher and I looked back over the essays to see how the students had done. Each period, all but three to five students had failing grades, so we would revise the instruction, but to no avail – the students were still failing. For the last period, acting in desperation, we decided to split the class and each take half, going over each part of the essay with the students. Because the class was smaller and at the end of the day, the task would be less complicated. At the end of the period, all but one or two students had essays that would receive a passing to high grade. That experience drastically affected the way I viewed the classroom. Inclusion is a wonderful idea, but only if the teachers are well equipped, given fewer students and more time. Another important aspect of inclusion is parental involvement. According to Simpson et al, “parents and families are thought to be an integral educational resource and alternative” under NCLB (Simpson et al, p. 69). Parents and family members are the ones who make inclusion possible for their children. If the parent works with the student because they want them to succeed in a “regular” classroom, the teacher has the added support needed to help the child in every way. The No Child Left Behind Act was monumental; “It expanded the federal role in education and took particular aim at improving the educational lot of disadvantaged students” (Education Week). The plan is not foolproof, however, and many parents, educators, and administrators are dissatisfied with the results. Although meant to help students who have been “left behind,” students still fall through the cracks; only they are lost in a “regular” rather than “special” classroom.
     This semester, my goal is to take the time to create individualized instruction and use every learning type for every lesson as often as I can. Having students who are succeeding in the classroom come alongside and aid those who are not is also important, and often students can reach their peers in ways I never could. Learning to harness that power and use it for learning will be a challenge that I am eager to overcome.

Randolph, K., & Wilson-Younger, D. (2012). "Is No Child Left Behind Effective For All Students?" Parents Don't Think So. Online Submission,

Simpson, R. L., LaCava, P. G., & Graner, P. (2004). The No Child Left Behind Act: Challenges and Implications for Educators. Intervention In School And Clinic, 40(2), 67-75.

"No Child Left Behind." Education Week. N.p., 4 Aug. 2004. Web. 9 Mar. 2014, <http://www.edweek.org>.