The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the federal statute that funds primary and secondary public education. The current iteration of the federal education law is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The law presents an opportunity to ensure that Latino and English language learner (ELL) students access the rigorous coursework they need to meet challenging standards and have their progress measured by appropriate assessments. In addition, the reporting of this information (as required under NCLB) can provide parents and the community with the tools to hold schools accountable for helping students meet academic standards.

Properly supported and implemented, NCLB shows promise to improve levels of achievement for Latinos and ELLs. However, important questions of policy and practice remain to be answered before that promise can be fulfilled. For more information regarding NCLR’s position on ESEA/NCLB, please refer to “The National Council of La Raza’s Position on the No Child Left Behind Act and English Language Learners”.