http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/next/overview/index.html

InfoQuest for ECD 101

No Child Left Behind

Written by D. McConaughy,

Early Childhood Education,

and the

Chesapeake College Library staff

http://www.chesapeake.edu/library/

Introduction

As a student of Early Childhood Development, as well as a professional in the field, you must always stay abreast of important contemporary issues in education. The following InfoQuest will introduce you to one of the hottest issues in education today -- President Bush's No Child Left Behind Initiative. You will learn all you can about this issue, and you will then present this information in class.

Tasks

You will complete the following tasks:

1.  Research

Investigate No Child Left Behind by exploring the websites and other sources in the Resources section, below.

2.  Interview

Work in assigned groups to determine how this initiative is being applied in your community. Each student will interview a principal or a teacher or a parent.

3.  Oral Presentation

Choose a presentation option from the list, below, to share your group's findings with the class.

Resources

Use the following Web sites in your research of No Child Left Behind. (You may use other reputable Web sites for this task.)

The Process

Each student will be assigned to one of three groups. One group will explore No Child Left Behind from the point of view of principals. Another group will focus on the impact on teachers, and the third group will look at implications for parents.

1.  Research

Use the Resources, above, to find the answers to the following questions:

1. What are the 4 basic education reform principles in NCLB?
    

2. What is a state's responsibility in NCLB?
    

3. How does Maryland enact NCLB?
    

4. How will yearly progress toward meeting the standards be measured?

Use additional information you find to compose questions about NCLB that are appropriate for either principals or teachers or parents, dependent on the group you have been assigned to.

2.  Interview

Based on your research, work with your group to produce a list of questions, (including the 4 above) appropriate for your interviewees, either:

Principals

Teachers

Parents

Each person interviewed should be asked the 4 questions you explored in your research, PLUS  the questions your group produces.

Before the interviews begin, submit the group's list of interview questions to your ECD101 instructor for approval. The list of questions should be double spaced with 1" margins. Use Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font.

For your interview, choose someone in your own community or school district. Each student in a group should plan to interview a different individual.

3.  Oral Presentation

Each group will make a presentation to the class based on your research and interviews. Demonstrate how No Child Left Behind is being implemented in your communities and share the views of the people you interviewed.

Choose one or more of the following presentation methods:
 

PowerPoint Presentation, which includes all the information you have gathered in this project presented in a creative way.

Role Play the interview scenarios

Tape the interviews and play them in your presentation

Show a video of the interviews and explain them

Other creative presentation that fully explains your findings (Instructional approval necessary)

Evaluation  

You will be evaluated on your knowledge of the initiative, your knowledge of how it is being implemented, and your ability to work as a group.

Conclusion

As you have seen, contemporary issues and government initiatives play a large role in the development of educational programs and curriculum. As an educator, it is very important that you stay abreast of the latest issues in education.