The Disheartened Teacher: Living in the Age of Standardisation, High-stakes Assessments, and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Abstract

There has been a universal movement towards government-regulated standardisation and high-stakes assessment. In the United States, this has resulted in the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). Because of the predominant focus on high-stakes reading and writing assessments required by NCLB, teachers in the subject area of English/Language Arts (ELA) have been victims of increased expectations and regimentation, more so than most other content areas. Therefore, for teachers today, both in ELA and across the curriculum, NCLB is harming teachers, their practice and their long-term commitment to the teaching profession.