Closing the Achievement Gap: The Impact of Standards-Based Education Reform on Student Performance

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) has conducted a study of the racial achievement gap, accountability, and remediation issues in elementary and secondary education. On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), resulting in the most significant federal education reform package in the last decade. The recommendations in this report are all intended to help school systems implement the requirements of NCLB in ways that will provide the maximum benefit to low-income, minority, limited English proficiency (LEP), and disabled students.