You can bring a horse to water but you can force them to drink. Typical of the one size to fit all failure of big government.
Resources should be used to ID the intellectual ones capable of learning and shoehorn them into regents types programs.
Others should get a solid basic education with opportunities to learn trade skills such as sheet metal fabricating, welding plumbing, electricity etc.
One can earn a decent living as a tradesman but the great thinkers in education seem to think everyone needs a college education...that’s ridiculous.
You are correct. NCLB was one Bush mistake. I have said for a long time that not everybody can attain the same education level. NCLB tries to force that. One hundred years ago not everybody made it through grade school. Some dropped out work on a farm or factory. My wife is a teacher with a Masters degree and one year from retirement. (I only have a 2 year tech degree from years ago and we earn about the same money). She is not in a position to administer these tests. The schools are under tremendous pressure to bring up the scores with the results of failure being having the state take over the school. There is no consequence for the child because can’t leave him behind, it might damage his self esteem! There is a tremendous lack of discipline, you can’t kick kids out because they will lose fed money. The tests are already dumbed down to the point of uselessness.