No Child Left Behind
More From the Field
Critical Thinking Question
- Why do you think having a research based curriculum is considered so important?
In 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act included a mandate to develop early learning standards in each state, but it did not dictate what those standards should be. A NCLB task force developed a set of standards known as Good Start, Grow Smart (GSGS) for children aged 3 to 5 as a voluntary model for states (Scott-Little, Lesko, Martella & Milburn, 2007). GSGS blended an academic content focus in sections on math, language, and literacy with developmentally focused sections devoted to approaches to learning, physical growth and health, and social/emotional growth.
Popular early curriculum models currently in widespread use, such as High Scope and the Creative Curriculum, subsequently matched their goals, objectives, and concept frameworks with the standards for each state, some based on GSGS and others not. The purpose of this effort was to help teachers account for how their curriculum and assessments match standards while still maintaining the intentions and integrity of the model they use. In sum, one of the biggest issues in early childhood today is the extent to which standards should drive or dictate curriculum.