Teachers' perceptions of the influence of no child left behind on classroom practices

Due to the magnitude of NCLB, the pressure on teachers has increased to perhaps immeasurable proportions. One could argue that NCLB has ramifications for nearly all aspects of the teaching- learning process, including classroom-based assessment. The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which K-12 teachers perceive that NCLB has influenced their instructional and assessment practices. Differences based on several demographic variables were also examined. An original instrument was administered to teachers and 1,534 responses were received. Salient findings revealed that teachers believe NCLB is having negative impacts on instructional and curricular practices, including higher levels of stress related to improving student performance. Teachers reported several changes in how they assess students. Significant group differences were found, particularly on the resultant components of Student Test Preparation and Instructional Changes.