Has the No Child Left Behind Act Severely Impacted Special Needs Research Paper

Has the No Child Left Behind Act Severely Impacted Special Needs Students by Expecting them to do Things That Normal Kids - Research Paper Example Introduction. The No Child Left Behind Program enhances the education of the special needs students. The research centers on the effect of the No Child Left Behind Program on the special needs learners. The research focuses on the test taking environment of the special needs test takers. The No Child Left Behind Act had not severely impacted special needs students by expecting them to do things that â€Å"Normal† Kids do. Related Literature. The No Child Left Behind Program states that the progress of all special education students should be monitored (PBS, 2008). Likewise, the program states the scores of the special Needs students will be included in getting the average scores of the students within a stat by 2014. Specifically, 95 percent of the learning disabled students’ scores in the English and Math subjects will in included in the overall state’s student tests’ statistical results. To level the playing field in the area of test taking, some leeway is legally given to the disabled learners. One such leeway, giving the disabled students tests incorporating large print questionnaires. Next, the special needs test takers are given more time to take the tests. Third, the special needs students allowed to take the tests in small groups, compared to the normal test groups. Fourth, the special needs students can be allowed to take the tests on a one on one basis. Fifth, some of the test watchers or teachers are allowed to aid the students on how to fill up the answer sheets. Sixth, the blind students are allowed to take the tests using the Braille method. Seventh, some special needs students are allowed to use sign language and other communication help to finish the tests. Eight, some of the special needs students are allowed to use computers to finish the tests. Lastly, many of the special needs students are allowed to use bilingual test booklets to solve math problems (English and Spanish version or English and another language ver sion). Further, the No Child Left Behind Program requires all schools that fail the state’s Adequate Yearly Progress goals in math and reading are classified as â€Å"in need of improvement†. Consequently, the school is required to put into place an educational program to improve the school’s ratings in the next Adequate Yearly Progress results in the areas of reading and mathematics. On the other hand, Alice Hammel (2011) insists the No Child Left Behind Act has severely impacted on the schools for the failure of the Special Needs Students by expecting them to do things that normal kids do, not the special needs children. The schools will receive complaints if the rights of the special needs children are not addressed. For example, students with emotional needs must be educated and tested in a special way, different from the normal learning kids. The students with behavioral needs, including ADHD students, should be taught in a special way to ensure the student will not be bored and reduce interest in the subject. In addition, the special needs children’s learning environment includes parental intervention. The procedural due process includes giving leeway to students with special learning needs to cope with the learning levels of the normal