No Adult Left Behind: Moving beyond No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has created significant opportunities for children to “grow” academically in preparing them for Postsecondary Education. It has so many excellent initiatives to reduce illiteracy and equalize the elementary and secondary education “playing field”. However, it is really not enough to prepare children academically for Postsecondary Education, because there are so many other variables that can affect a child’s success in the Postsecondary Education realm. The inefficiencies in NCLB are demonstrated in the enrollment, attrition, and retention issues that so many postsecondary education institutions face today.

Many students are prepared academically to succeed. However, they lack the ability to utilize decision making tools to determine the best academic setting conducive to their learning abilities, assessment of the culture of a postsecondary education institution, and coping with the change in environment from the “disciplined” high school structure to a more “self-empowered” postsecondary education environment. These are just some of the variables that can affect the child’s success in completing their education after high school. Secondary and Postsecondary Education Institutions have to be cognizant of these student inefficiencies as the transit from high school graduates to adults seeking college degrees.

Governor Granholm’s initiative to “double the number of Michigan College graduates” is a very obtainable goal. However, children will need more preparation in achieving this goal than just academically. Postsecondary Education Institutions have significant problems with enrollment, attrition, and retention which will have a significant affect on this goal. Through many are developing strategies for overcoming these issues, the real preparation for a child’s success begins during elementary and secondary education in helping the children to develop “a decision making tool kit” that transcends beyond “academics” into a more comprehensive knowledge base that can help them to persevere in the Postsecondary Education environment of “choice”.

In addition, postsecondary education institutions have to be prepared to “assist” the student in identifying their barriers to academic success and in the development of resolution strategies. This is not an easy task. It will take collaboration between the Secondary and Postsecondary Education realms to formulate strategies that go beyond the academic provisions for success in college to the emotional, spiritual, and moral philosophy building. As a child exits the high school “door” and moves into adulthood, “No Child Left Behind” has to also evolve to “No Adult Left Behind” with the decision making tools to achieve their Postsecondary Education goals and become more productive members of society.