NEWS OF THE DAY News 14. No Child Left Behind Law Rejected by Many Educators.

News 14. No Child Left Behind Law Rejected by Many Educators.

[WORDS]
  * initiative : n. 발의, 시작, 솔선

  * motivate : v. 동기를 부여하다, 자극하다

  * controversial : a. 논란이 되는

  * superintendent : n. 교장, 교육장, 장학사

  * trumpet : v. 떠들썩하게 추켜세우다

  * denounce : v. 비난하다

  * filed suit : v. 소송을 제기하다

  * cumbersome : a. 방해가 되는, 성가신

  * comply : v. 지키다, 다르다

  * legislation : n. 법률 제정, 입법

  * bipartisan : a. 초당적인, 2당의

  * measurable : a. 잴 수 있는, 측정할 수 있는

  * certified : a. 공인된, 보증된

  * say : 예를 들면, 말하자면

  * classify : v. 분류/구분하다

  * label : v. 꼬리표를 달다, 분류하다

  We're going to take a closer look at President Bush's education initiative tonight. No Child Left Behind. It was introduced two years ago. And today to motivate schools to improve students' performance, Mr. Bush marked the anniversary at a Tennessee school that is one of the success stories. Well, the program is controversial. A recent survey by the non-profit group Public Agenda found that nine out of 10 school superintendents think the law makes unreasonable demands and provides too little funding. Let's look closely. Here's ABC's Judy Muller.

  Even as President Bush trumpets the two-year anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act, a growing number of school districts are denouncing it. Reading, Pennsylvania, school district has filed suit, saying the law's requirements are too cumbersome and costly. And around the country, some districts are saying they might reject federal money rather than comply.

  When the president signed the legislation in 2002, it got enthusiastic bipartisan support. The law has a number of ambitious goals, including measurable improvement in English and math for all students, certified teachers in every class and a high rate of graduating seniors. But the challenge comes at a difficult time. Schools across the country are facing drastic state budget cuts. And even though President Bush has increased education spending by 5 billion dollars over the last two years, education critics say he has failed to adequately fund No Child Left Behind.

  Under the law, schools must show improved test scores. If any one group within a student body fails to improve, say, immigrants who don't speak English, then the whole school is classified as needing improvement.

  A school that fails must allow students to transfer to better schools. But in Chicago, where more than half the city's 600 schools were labeled as failing, there were only 1,000 spots available for the 19,000, who applied for transfers. Schools that continue to fail to improve must provide costly tutoring for struggling students. Tens of thousands of schools already have failed to meet the tough new standards. Like it or not, the law is having an impact.

Judy Muller, ABC News, Los Angeles.