Final answer:
The No Child Left Behind Act mandated standardized testing to measure and improve student performance, with a focus on reading and math, aligning with the National Reading Panel's goals. The law's emphasis on testing led to 'teaching to the test,' which has been both praised and criticized. Over time, it was recognized as impractical, leading to calls for revision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Reading Panel and the No Child Left Behind Act are connected in their overarching goals of improving educational standards and accountability in the United States, specifically in the areas of reading and math. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), enacted in 2001 under President George W. Bush, mandated standardized testing in public schools to measure student performance and enforced accountability by tying federal funding to test results. This law also increased the focus on reading by requiring tests in reading and math and by demanding improvements in curricula and teacher qualifications, which align with the National Reading Panel's findings on effective reading instruction practices.
Through its focus on standardized testing, NCLB led to the practice of teaching to the test, which has been criticized for narrowing curricula and emphasizing the memorization of facts over the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The law's approach to education reform has been both praised for shining a light on underperforming schools and students in need and criticized for its 'one size fits all' methodology and the pressures it places on educational institutions. Even though the law was intended for revision in 2007, it became increasingly impractical over time, prompting the Obama administration to push for a new law that would better address educational challenges and prepare students for success beyond school.