13. US Government Programs to Reduce Social and Economic Inequality (2)

1. 13. US Government Programs to Reduce Social and Economic Inequality (2) • Learning Intentions (After this lesson pupils should be able to): • Describe two other US Government programs that aim to reduce social and economic inequality in the US (No Child Left Behind Act 2001 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009) • Evaluate the success of No Child Left Behind 2001 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009

2. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) When Bush became president in 2000, he believed that too many public schools were failing their students. In response, the then Republican-led Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act 2001. This Act requires schools within each state to reach a certain standard in basic skills if the state is to continue receive federal funding for education. Bush hoped that by setting high standards in education and better tracking students progress, standards would be forced up. Note: The Federal Government did not set out a national achievement standard but rather, it was up to the individual states to develop their own programs. The federal government did, however, significantly increase spending on education.

3. Success of No Child Left Behind Act • There is fierce debate over the success of NCLB. • Supporters of the Act claim: • reading scores and scores in maths have improved at their fastest rate for many years. • reading and maths scores for Blacks and Hispanics children are at an all-time high. • the gap between Blacks/Hispanics children and White children’s scores in reading and maths are at the lowest ever levels. • But critics of the Act claim: • tests have become easier to inflate results. This is possible as the States draw up their own tests. • reading and maths scores have improved as schools ‘manipulate results’ to retain funding. • NCLB has narrowed the curriculum has States focus resources on reading and maths.

4. No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

5. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th Congress in Feb. 2009. The Act was based largely on proposals made by President Obama and was intended to provide a stimulus to the US economy in the wake of the economic downtown The measures are worth $787 billion. The Act includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and other social welfare provisions, and domestic spending including education and health care. Reaction: Economists in the US are divided over the ARRA. Some agree a stimulus package was needed to help US economy but this did not go far enough or was wrong package. Others feel ARRA will damage US economy as US national debt soars.

6. US Government Programs to Reduce Social and Economic Inequality • Questions • What is NCLB and what did it aim to do? • “NCLB was a success.” Darren Thomson • Provide two pieces of information to support and two pieces of information to oppose the view of Darren Thomson. • 3. What is ARRA and what did it aim to do? • 4. “There is universal agreement that ARRA has helped the US economy.” Hazel Smith • To what extent is Hazel selective in her use of facts?