Final answer:
The claim about NCLB mandating school closures after five years of underperformance is false. Schools are subject to corrective actions and various restructuring measures, but closure is not the only outcome prescribed by the law. The Every Student Succeeds Act brought additional flexibility in addressing underperforming schools.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that states are required to implement major staff and curriculum changes in underperforming schools that do not improve after four years, and if progress is not made after five years, states must close the schools is false. While the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act did require states to implement accountability systems covering all public schools and students and to test all students in grades 3–8 in reading and math, the actions taken after periods of underperformance are not as cut-and-dried as closure.
Schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress toward goals are indeed subject to corrective actions and restructuring. Possible interventions after repeated years of underperformance include providing students with the option to transfer to other schools or implementing new curricula and staff. However, there are more options for schools than just closure, such as turning them into charter schools, state takeovers, or entering into contracts with private management companies to run the school.
It's also noteworthy that every student succeeds under the Obama administration aimed to rectify certain issues with NCLB, including offering more flexibility and a move towards standards that prepare students for college and careers. However, school closure as a mandate after a five-year period of underperformance under NCLB is not accurate.