Thesis advisor: Diana C. Pullin / The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) increased the role of the federal government in the education of America's children, raising the standards of performance for all children in all schools and holding schools accountable for the achievement of all children. Schools, districts, and states are required under the law to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) not only in the aggregate, but for certain subgroups of students, including racial and linguistic minorities, children with disabilities, and students who are economically disadvantaged. Schools that fail to make the requisite AYP risk exposure to a host of sanctions including: being labeled "in need of improvement," replacing principals, and state take-over. This dissertation argues that, in this demanding context, it is possible that NCLB may actually be increasing the achievement gap between racial groups in America rather than reducing it. The use of standardized assessments to measure student progress may be causing detrimental effects on students in racial minority groups. These effects may be further compounded in states like Massachusetts where regulations designed to implement NCLB impose additional mandates, such as requiring students to pass a test for graduation. Through an analysis of school profile data reported by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a review of district documents, and interviews with teachers and administrators at one high school that has been identified as in need of improvement, this dissertation examines the intersection between high stakes testing and retention in light of the system of rewards and sanctions imposed by NCLB, paying particular attention to the disparate impact this phenomenon may be having on students of color in urban schools. This study illuminates the challenges faced by policymakers in their attempts to reduce the achievement gap faced by students in this country as well as the impact such policies have on the practice of teaching and learning. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_101237 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Norton, Beth A. |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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