Chapter 7: Not Just Accountability: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Third-Grade Reading Diagnostic Tools

Among other things, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) mandated that student subpopulations (i.e., race/ethnicity, ethnic identity, poverty, limited English proficiency, disabilities) achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on annual assessments. If any one of these subpopulations fails to make AYP, the school and district are identified as needing improvement, face public stigmatization, and the potential loss of federal funds. Although Ohio was granted a waiver in May of 2012, giving the state greater flexibility under NCLB, this was not the case when this study was undertaken. At that time, Ohio schools and districts were subject to federal mandates and the state’s accountability system, exerting policy pressures to ensure student performance among its subpopulations and improve teacher quality.