Public schools are changing as a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, says a new report from the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. But are those changes bad, or good?

The answer is "both." Data in the CEP report was drawn from surveys of states and districts, none of which are in Utah. It is CEP's fourth annual report on how NCLB is affecting states and school districts.

Today's schools are doing a better job of aligning instruction with state standards and are placing more emphasis on improving performance of students who face challenges, the report says. But 71 percent of districts surveyed said they have cut instructional time in subjects such as science, social studies, technical education and the arts to make more time for reading and math, the topics covered in NCLB tests. And, many respondents said the law has placed heavy burdens on teachers, increasing stress levels and hurting staff morale.

Utah's Legislature and education community have been vocal opponents of NCLB, viewing it as improperly intruding on state territory. Still, Patti Harrington, state superintendent of public instruction, recognizes positive effects of NCLB.

She appreciates NCLB's focus on narrowing achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their higher-performing peers, and its emphasis on reading in early grades. These were already happening in Utah, she says, along with steps to create standards and align curriculum.

"It's not that I don't want to give NCLB credit," Harrington says. "But others should enjoy due credit, too. Much of this is due to people who preceded me in the state office."

David Armstrong, Carbon School District superintendent, has many frustrations with NCLB requirements, but he, too, has seen some positive effects.

"We're looking at every student now to make sure they don't fall behind or get lost in the system, and we're also having teachers change the way they teach so they use the research-based strategies they should be using," Armstrong says.

Jack Jennings, president of CEP, says one of the biggest problems identified in the CEP study is that states lack the ability to carry out NCLB demands because of funding issues.

"The president and Congress moved in the wrong direction by making cuts, and now they are requesting further cuts just as the demands become greater," Jennings says. "If the president considers this to be his signature piece of legislation, and if Congress is committed to it, they should provide money to implement its requirements."

Armstrong feels the pinch in his district - the necessity to "manipulate money" in his budgets to meet the unfunded mandates of NCLB. The requirements for teachers to become "highly qualified" by earning college majors in all subjects they teach is an example.

"Teachers need the training, but they shouldn't have to pay for it out of their own pockets," says Armstrong.

CEP reports that districts across the nation are getting closer to meeting requirements for highly qualified teachers. But district administrators surveyed were skeptical about whether NCLB's teacher requirements really improve the quality of teaching.

Armstrong's biggest beef with NCLB is philosophical, though, not financial. Like educators across the nation, he resents the fact that an entire school could be labeled as "failing" because of low performance by a single one of 40 sub-groups, which include low-income students, English language learners, students with disabilities and a host of ethnic groups. "I just think that to label a school as a failing school when they are doing an excellent job in most ways is very unfair," Armstrong says. "There should be a gradation that recognizes successes and points out areas where improvement is needed. They should use a fly-swatter instead of a hammer."

Recommendations on NCLB

These are among recommendations made by the Center on Education Policy in its fourth annual report on the effects of the federal No Child Left Behind Act:

* The U.S. Department of Education should provide more information to the public about its process for making decisions on state accountability plans.

* The department should help states develop assessments for certain students with disabilities using modified standards.

* The department and the Congress should provide more funding for implementing NCLB requirements.

* Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings should use her influence to signal that social studies, science, the arts and subjects other than reading and math are still a vital part of a balanced curriculum.