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The No Child Left Behind Act

Author

Listed:
  • William Duncombe

    (Syracuse University)

  • Anna Lukemeyer

    (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

  • John Yinger

    (Syracuse University)

Abstract

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) imposes new requirements on state education systems and provides additional education funding. This article estimates education cost functions, predicts the spending required to support NCLB standards, and compares this spending with the funding available through NCLB. This analysis is conducted for Kansas and Missouri, which have similar education environments but very different standards. We find that new federal funding is sufficient to support very low standards for student performance, but cannot come close to funding high standards without implausibly large increases in school-district efficiency. Because of the limited federal funding and the severe penalties in NCLB when a school does not meet its state's standards, states have a strong incentive to keep their standards low. NCLB needs to be reformed so that it will encourage high standards.

Suggested Citation

  • William Duncombe & Anna Lukemeyer & John Yinger, 2008. "The No Child Left Behind Act," Public Finance Review, , vol. 36(4), pages 381-407, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:36:y:2008:i:4:p:381-407
    DOI: 10.1177/1091142107305220
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    Cited by:

    1. Phuong Nguyen-Hoang, 2012. "Fiscal effects of budget referendums: evidence from New York school districts," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 77-95, January.
    2. Nguyen-Hoang, Phuong & Yeung, Ryan, 2010. "What is paratransit worth?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 841-853, December.
    3. Wang, Wen & Duncombe, William D. & Yinger, John M., 2011. "School District Responses to Matching Aid Programs for Capital Facilities: A Case Study of New York’s Building Aid Program," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 64(3), pages 759-794, September.
    4. Gronberg, Timothy J. & Jansen, Dennis W. & Taylor, Lori L., 2011. "The Impact of Facilities on the Cost of Education," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 64(1), pages 193-218, March.
    5. Morten Anstorp Rosenkvist, 2010. "Using Student Test Results for Accountability and Improvement: A Literature Review," OECD Education Working Papers 54, OECD Publishing.

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