What's Wrong with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and What You Can Do to Change It

The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): FairTest materials on requirements, opportunities and problems

The articles on this page analyze the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as the current version of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Because ESSA requires the same testing as NCLB did and many states still use NCLB punitive accountability programs though they do not have to, this page retains material on NCLB that is relevant to ESSA. It also includes fact sheets on the right to opt out of state tests.

For more details on the dangerous consequences of high stakes and overtesting, see http://www.fairtest.org/k-12/high%20stakes.

For information on alternative assessments and accountability, see http://www.fairtest.org/k-12/authentic%20assessment.

Resources from FairTest on ESSA and resistance

• The New Federal Education Law: A Basis for a Stronger Testing Resistance and Assessment Reform Movement
   
• Fighting for Assessment Reform under ESSA http://www.fairtest.org/fighting-assessment-reform-under-essa
   
• Just Say No to the Test (Opting Out) http://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
   
• Why You Can Boycott Standardized Tests Without Fear of Federal Penalties to Your Schoolhttp://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fear