Discussion of the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mounts as the expiration date of September 30, 2007 approaches. Whether or not the NCLB will be reauthorized on or after the expiration date is unclear. But, does the American public understand the law and do they support it? The recent release of the 7th Annual Educational Testing Services (ETS) public opinion poll, Standards, Accountability and Flexibility: Americans Speak on No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, indicates that, although “the public has no clear understanding of the law,” they still supports its “underlying logic”. One thing is clear, per the survey, 51% of general public believes that K-12 education “needs major changes or a complete overhaul”.

The survey, conducted by bipartisan pollsters Peter D. Hart Research Associates and The Winston Group, examines the opinions of parents, non-parents, teachers, administrators, and Spanish speakers on their views of NCLB and the current state of our schools.