No Child Left Behind, MCAS, and More
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the major federal law supporting public education in the United States. NCLB is a complex law, but its purposes are simple: to ensure that all children in the U.S. receive a high-quality education and to close the achievement gap. The achievement gap exists between children who typically perform well in school and those who do not. Many of these students are from minority racial and ethnic groups, have disabilities, live in poverty, or do not have English as their first language. These students are least likely to have access to a high quality education, as well. NCLB has a special interest in closing this gap. To achieve its purposes, NCLB holds to some common sense principles. For example, the law requires that schools :
Be held accountable for results.
Use methods of instruction that are proven through research to work.
Involve parents by giving them information and choices about their child’s education.
In 2011 the U.S. Department of Education invited state educational agencies to request flexibility on behalf of itself, its districts, and schools, in order to better focus on improving student learning and increasing the quality of instruction. Massachusetts' flexibility request was granted on February 9, 2012.
Learn more about the ways in which the new Massachusetts flexibility plan differs from the original NCLB:
Learn more about your rights under No Child Left Behind
Learn more about the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
View the 2015 Massachusetts District Report Card Overview for the Westfield Public School District.
For performance data on a particular school, visit the My School page of this website.