THE UNITED STATES' "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT" AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR WIDENING ACCESS TO EDUCATION

The history and politics of education in the United States point to education as a pillar in the founding of a democratic society and culture. The power of education was so potent that not every member of society could be entrusted with it. The struggle for power and social recognition thus was a determining factor well before the advent of contemporary US education. The desire for power and cultural dominance that defined education in the early years of the United States has continued to orient almost every educational policy and decision in the country. Although the issue bears on American education in general, the focus in this chapter is on K-12 education, the zone in American education that offers the widest access to the largest number of people possible. K-12 education has received increasing attention in recent years and has been the focus of much political debate. One of the results of this debate has been the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a policy that implies widening access. This chapter digs into the Act’s implications for widening access to education in the United States.