Poll Finds Rise in Unfavorable Views of NCLB

More Americans say they are knowledgeable about the No Child Left Behind Act than just last year, but familiarity appears to breed dislike, according to a poll set for release this week by Phi Delta Kappa International and the Gallup Organization .

In addition, Americans remain concerned that the federal education law’s focus on testing students for their proficiency in reading and mathematics is leading to a narrowing of the curriculum, at the expense of subjects such as social studies, science, and the arts, the survey found. That finding echoes the previous PDK/Gallup polls beginning in 2003.

In the latest poll, 54 percent of respondents said they knew a “great deal” or a “fair amount” about the 5½-year-old law, up from the 45 percent who gave those responses last year. Forty-six percent said they knew “very little” or “nothing at all” about it, compared with 55 percent who gave...