But there were other problems as well: NCLB did not itself provide sufficient incentives for students to work hard, as only teachers were held accountable for failure, and the
legislation did not end the enduring inequalities of educational
opportunity for low - income and minority students that underlie the achievement
gap.
The
legislation recognizes that achieving excellence in American education depends on providing access to
opportunity for all children, and that increasing inequality within external social, economic, health and community factors — traditionally viewed as outside of the domain of schools — have a significant influence on academic outcomes and a persistent achievement
gap.