Perspectives on Critical Issues This Perspectives section features commentaries on the No Child Left Behind Act, one of the most

controversial pieces of legislation in the history of federal educational policy making. David Karen provides an overview and a critical evaluation, Gary Dworkin focuses on issues of accountability and assessment, Richard Ingersoll discusses out-of-field teaching, and Joyce Epstein focuses on parental involvement. We thank our board members Alan Sadovnik, Kathryn M. Borman, and John Robert Warren for their help in identifying the commentators and reviewing the commentaries.— Suet-ling Pong and Linda Grant Too many American children are segregated into schools without standards, shuffled from grade-to-grade because of their age, regard-less of their knowledge. This is discrimination, pure and simple—the soft bigotry of low expectations. And our nation should treat it like other forms of discrimination. We should end it. One size does not fit all when it comes to educating children, so local people shoul