A timely study on the implementation of NCLB in 6 states during the initial phase of the reform. The authors' policy recommendations will be particularly useful to policy makers and practitioners in designing more effective strategies to improve schooling quality for the least advantaged children. This book will be widely adopted in graduate courses in educational policy and intergovernmental relations' - Kenneth Wong, Professor, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

'The well documented and thorough approach to collecting the data is a major strength. The material fit with my experiences as a practicing principal...This book can serve as a catalyst for quality conversation that is so drastically needed about how to make NCLB do what it is intended to do - ensure that every child is successful!' - Bonnie Tryon, Principal, Golding Elementary School, Cobleskill, NY, Member, 2002-2003 NAESP Board of Directors

'This is an important, topical book that provides a deep look at fundamental issues in the design and implementation of No Child Left Behind' - Richard F. Elmore, Gregory Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership, Harvard Graduate School of Education

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has direct implications for what happens educationally in the classroom. Based on in-depth data from Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New York and Virginia and 11 school districts within these states, authors from the acclaimed Harvard Civil Rights Project illuminate for educators the issues raised by NCLB and what the law means for local districts and schools.

This is an essential resource for every educational leader interested in understanding the implications of NCLB in the classroom, participating in the dialogue, communicating issues to school communities, and discerning levels of accountability, progress, and standards.