No Child Left Behind and the Reduction of the Achievement Gap: Sociological Perspectives on Federal Educational Policy

This monumental collection presents the first-ever sociological analysis of the No Child Left Behind Act and its effects on children, teachers, parents, and schools. More importantly, these leading sociologists consider whether NLCB can or will accomplish its major goal: to eliminate the achievement gap by 2014. Based on theoretical and empirical research, the essays examine the history of federal educational policy and place NCLB in a larger sociological and historical context. Taking up a number of policy areas affected by the law―including accountability and assessment, curriculum and instruction, teacher quality, parental involvement, school choice and urban education―this book examines the effects of NCLB on different groups of students and schools and the ways in which school organization and structure affect achievement. No Child Left Behind concludes with a discussion of the important contributions of sociological research and sociological analysis integral to understanding the limits and possibilities of the law to reduce the achievement gap.

Alan R. Sadovnik is Professor of Education, Sociology, and Public Affairs at Rutgers University.

Jennifer A. O'Day is Managing Research Scientist and Policy Analyst in the Education Program at the American Institute for Research.

George W. Bohrnstedt is Senior Vice President for Research at the American Institute for Research.

Kathryn M. Borman is Professor of Anthropology at University of South Florida.