In 2002, George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act. This new federal law shifted elementary and secondary education to prioritize closing achievement gaps in students through standardized testing, and tying funding to the overall test results of the schools. This led many schools to feel pressured to send children to the next grade, even if they were not yet ready, in order to continue receiving a fair amount of funding based on graduation rates and to avoid negative metrics.Â
While this was ultimately overturned in 2015 with Barack Obama’s Every Child Succeeds Act, we are still haunted by the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act. This is because Bush’s decision ultimately supports a system that is designed to sort students into a hierarchy, and provide less resources for communities that are systemically underfunded and typically have more diversity. It also pushed students who did not yet have the proper grade-level skillsets to continue in school without being held back a grade, which disproportionately impacted students of color, specifically. To learn more about how the No Child Left Behind Act impacted communities of color and the school-to-prison-pipeline, check this article out.Â
When schools became centered on standardized test scores, which would then influence the amount of funding they would receive, teachers began to teach to the test rather than focusing on the goal of expanding children’s different levels of intelligence and critical thinking skills. By doing so, this created a large gap within students’ learning, and what they feel comfortable and capable doing in or out of school. Students became knowledgeable on skills like memorization and test-taking, which are things that standardized tests strongly push, rather than critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration with other students.Â
The lack of development of these skills, specifically critical thinking, has had incredibly long-lasting impacts on people. Critical thinking skills encourage us to analyze the world around us, question the systems we are a part of, and create new solutions for problems. As explained by CambriLearn, “Students who lack the ability to think critically will often display certain characteristics, such as a lack of awareness, being prejudiced or biased, and an overreliance of authority.” This is because as we develop our critical thinking skills, questioning and analyzing what we are presented with is highly encouraged, which leads to people having the skills to understand situations and other individuals in a deep, complex way.Â
Not only can a lack of critical thinking skills cause people to have prejudiced views and a need to rely on a person in power, but it can also lead them to be swayed by undeveloped or false arguments. According to Cognito Debate, “A society without critical thinkers is one where individuals can easily fall prey to misinformation, propaganda, and shallow arguments.” If someone takes what they are reading or hearing at face value without digging deeper beneath the surface, certain things like hidden messaging or lies are lost. For example, when a politician makes a claim that Ukraine has interfered with an election (as Donald Trump did in 2016), some people may think that this is a truthful and believable statement, without any further thought on the matter.Â
A lack of critical thinking doesn’t just impact how people view the systems that make up our society, but it also has a large impact on literacy levels in the US. This is because schools do not prioritize reading as much as they once did, which is yet another reflection of the No Child Left Behind Act. As Michelle Brown for The 74 writes, “Today, 70% of kids who are graduating aren’t reading proficiently.” Additionally, in 2017, the National Center for Education Statistics administered a survey, and found that “19% of US adults ranked at the lowest levels of literacy.” But then, when they re-administered the survey in 2023, they found that “that figure increased to 28%.” This substantial shift reflects the decline in literacy rates through the years, and the decrease in motivation to read.Â
That being said, the No Child Left Behind is not the entire reason behind a decline in critical thinking, literacy rates, and other important skills. The rise of social media and short-form content has caused adults and children alike to be less motivated to take the time to read a novel, stay focused during school, and engage with deep thinking during everyday situations. With short-form content, people are able to gain a large sum of information at a fast rate, making it appear to be more appealing than picking up a book or taking the time to fully learn something new.Â
This goes to show that policies, even when they are later overturned, have incredibly impactful results that will shape both our present and future as humans and students. It is so important to take the time to truly learn, think, and question the world we live in, especially as we continue to fight against the usage of AI and other “shortcuts” that have been pushed throughout the recent years.Â