When former President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law, educators were skeptical about how education reform would work on a national level. US public school students are still falling behind in the core subjects, but at least the most egregious offenders have been identified. Schools in the state of Montana risks losing their Title I federal public education funding this year if they fail to subject a written report detailing what their plans. With only a few weeks until the NCLB deadline, it looks like students in Montana public schools may have to go an entire year without extracurricular activities, new supplies or even some of their teachers.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, public school administrators are required to ensure that all K-12 schools are in compliance with federal regulations. This including having to show that standardized test scores are improving, which is an area in which many public schools are struggling in. When teachers are forced to give precedence to materials that cover standardized test requirements instead of their curriculum, most students fall behind on their studies.

Some educators have gone as far to oppose using standardized test scores as an area of measuring the progress of their students. Because school systems in the US have different grading criteria, focus on different subjects and even have different weighted GPAs, standardized tests are necessary for establishing a national average. School administrators in Montana may have to request an extension in order to comply with the CLB rules.