No Child Left Behind

Abstract

Proponents of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) hail it as vital legislation that supports a civil rights agenda because of explicit recognition that achievement gaps are unacceptable. One way to make sense of NCLB's impact on school divisions and to understand whether NCLB recognizes the complexity of why minority and low-socioeconomic-background students often struggle in schools is to look through the lens of superintendents. District leaders, as moral agents, are tone setters for change in schools and negotiators and enactors of state and federal policies. This study explores how NCLB has affected achievement gaps in Virginia and not only investigates how superintendents have made sense of the federal legislation but also seeks out strategies employed by district leaders that target minority groups and the elimination of the achievement gap. Critical race theory allows consideration of superintendent perspectives across issues such as race, racism, poverty, class, power, test scores, and dominant assumptions.