| The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was proposed by President George W. Bush as a means of closing the achievement gap across the United States. While the President and lawmakers have put this law in place, the affects of the legislation on middle school science education has not been evaluated. Issues of funding, the lack of available resources, sporadic student assessments, and increased pressure on educators have contributed to a widening achievement gap in Connecticut Public Schools. No Child Left Behind was geared towards leveling the playing fields and ensuring all students receive an equal opportunity to learn. In recent years, however, the legislation has been a continued object of criticism and an increase area of debate for reformation. The purpose of the study was to identify areas of concern for educators in Connecticut and explore how NCLB has affected the way teaching and learning happens across the state. The study was conducted using a three-round qualitative Delphi approach with 30 participants who were experts from various areas in science education. The goal of the study was to provide insight to educational leaders and policymakers as to the affects of federal legislation on middle school science education in Connecticut Public Schools. The importance of the study to educational leadership was to identify reasons for the widening achievement gap in Connecticut, and explore ways to close the achievement gap to ensure that no child is left behind. |
