On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act which gave the schools "historic reform based on stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, encouraging proven education methods, [and] more choices for parents" (Ed.gov).

The idea that every child will be given an equal opportunity for a quality education sounds like a dream come true, but does the No Child Left Behind Act fulfill this promise?

For this essay, you will investigate the No Child Left Behind controversy and write a persuasive essay.  Is NCLB working? Should President Obama continue the NCLB programs? Is the underlying goal good but the means to achieve it ineffective? After reading over all the material, decide where you stand on the issue.

There is a resources page available to help you get started in your search for information, but feel free to investigate other resources--there are plenty of them out there,

As you collect information, take the time to read the information carefully and to evaluate the validity of everything you read. Don't assume that just because something is written down that it is true. Don't assume that just because something is written on a government web page or a professional web page that it is true.  Engage your critical thinking skills and question everything!

After you have spent some time investigating the subject, you will write a persuasive paper on the topic. Your essay will need to be a MINIMUM of FOUR PAGES in length. I will be looking for a strong introduction that grabs the reader’s interest and introduces the topic and where you are headed with your argument. I will be looking for logical and reasonable evidence as you back up your claims.  I will be looking for a strong conclusion that leaves the reader thinking about what you have just said. 

You will need to develop a list of works cited (bibliography) page that follows MLA documentation. In addition, you will need to provide in-text citations documenting the source of any information you include in your essay. You will need to have a minimum of 5 sources. I will expect to see you use all five sources in your essay with the proper documentation. 

Essays will be returned unread and ungraded if they:

• do not meet the minimum page requirement
• do not meet the minimum requirement for secondary sources
• are not typed in MLA format (the format discussed in class)
• are not accompanied by strong evidence of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, proofreading.

Late papers (including those that are returned with any of the above listed problems) will lose one full letter grade (10 points). Papers that are submitted more than 15 minutes late on the day they are due will be considered late. Late papers will not be eligible for any revision opportunities that might be offered.

If you run into problems, remember there are many places you can go for help. You can go to the ASC or the Writing Center and ask the tutors or instructors for assistance. You can come and talk to me during my office hours. Remember that it’s okay to get stuck, but it’s not okay to stay stuck.

Also remember that you must submit your essay to Turnitin.com prior to submitting it in class.