On January 8, 2002, NCLB was signed into law. Americans united behind a revolutionary idea: every child can learn. The law confirms that as a nation, we will not accept a public school system that educates only a portion of its children. NCLB recognizes what truly makes a difference in providing a quality education. It calls for a highly qualified teacher in the core subjects in every classroom; the use of proven, research-based instructional methods; and timely information and options for parents. Schools that underperform are held accountable, providing their students with free tutoring or transfer to a better performing public school. In other words, children’s education needs are placed first—where they belong. To achieve its goals, NCLB works according to four common-sense principles:
holding schools accountable for results;
giving states and districts flexibility in how they spend federal money;
using scientific research to guide classroom practice; and
involving parents by giving them information and choices about their children’s education.
In 1965, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), providing, for the first time, significant federal funding for K–12 education. The original law has been renewed eight times, most recently by NCLB. Please contact the Office of Federal Programs at
or (850) 245-0657 for more information.
ESEA Flexibility
As recently allowed by the U.S. Department of Education, the Florida Department of Education is in the process of seeking a flexibility waiver for adhering to certain federal requirements for our public education system. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA),commonly referred to as "No Child Left Behind," was created a decade ago to establish an accountability system that aimed to help close the achievement gap among all students. For more information, please visit the No Child Left Behind Flexibility Waiver website or e-mail
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