--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains…" description: "\"No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning gains, they're testing gains. That's why they don't last. The law is a distraction from thing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png" --- # No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning… ![“No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning gains, they're testing gains. That's why they don't last. The law is a distraction from things that really count.” quote by Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png) > “No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning gains, they're testing gains. That's why they don't last. The law is a distraction from things that really count.” [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Testing-focused policies inflate scores without improving true learning, making reforms ineffective. **In simple terms:** Tests boost scores, not learning. Key Takeaway Prioritize deep learning over test prep. Themes education policy assessment Mood critical concerned Type analysis advocacy When to use this quote - school reform meetings - teacher training - parent-teacher conferences Key Concepts standardized testing learning outcomes equity Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance assessment with genuine learning? - What alternatives to testing exist? A Different Perspective Tests can provide useful data if used responsibly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count/) [Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Fourth grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourth-grade/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Gains Aren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains-aren-2451924/) [Grade Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grade-gains-2451925/) [Last](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Learning Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-gains-2451927/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Testing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testing/) [Testing Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testing-gains-2451926/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) ## Related quotes > [What is harmful to kids is to give them a first-year teacher. That is absolutely the wrong thing you can do in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-walsh/what-is-harmful-to-kids-is-to-give-them-a-first-year-teacher-that-is/) [Kate Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-walsh/) > [I once made a check of all books in my fourth-grade classroom. Of the slightly more than six hundred books, almost one quarter had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/i-once-made-a-check-of-all-books-in-my-fourth-grade-classroom-of-the/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Children, of course, don't understand at first that they are being cheated. They come to school with a degree of faith and optimism, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/children-of-course-don-t-understand-at-first-that-they-are-being/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [When I was in fourth grade, I made a song about the part in Stockholm where we come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yung-lean/when-i-was-in-fourth-grade-i-made-a-song-about-the-part-in-stockholm/) [Yung Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yung-lean/) > [We started making movies when we were really young, in the fourth grade... if you can call them movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-duffer/we-started-making-movies-when-we-were-really-young-in-the-fourth/) [Ross Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-duffer/) > [Peter did his first network TV in fourth grade on Take Your Child to Work Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-doocy/peter-did-his-first-network-tv-in-fourth-grade-on-take-your-child-to/) [Steve Doocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-doocy/) > [“All the nervousness she’d been feeling about skipping to fourth grade suddenly burbled up inside her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-davies/all-the-nervousness-she-d-been-feeling-about-skipping-to-fourth-grade/) [Jacqueline Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-davies/) > [When I was in fourth grade... this wonderful teacher said you didn't have to write a book report, you could just talk about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didi-conn/when-i-was-in-fourth-grade-this-wonderful-teacher-said-you-didn-t/) [Didi Conn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didi-conn/) > [I was a paper boy, beginning the summer between my fourth-grade and fifth-grade years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-boies/i-was-a-paper-boy-beginning-the-summer-between-my-fourth-grade-and/) [David Boies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-boies/) > [Most of the girls I know are from my school. I've gone to school with the same people since fourth grade, so I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-yelchin/most-of-the-girls-i-know-are-from-my-school-i-ve-gone-to-school-with/) [Anton Yelchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-yelchin/) > [Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since fourth grade. I guess I'm happy I could give him work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/really-he-called-me-that-ellen-degenerate-i-ve-been-getting-that/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [My first kiss was fourth grade, girl named Krista West. We're walking out to the black top, and I throw my arm around her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-majors/my-first-kiss-was-fourth-grade-girl-named-krista-west-we-re-walking/) [Jonathan Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-majors/) > [“The teacher pulled out a pile of papers. They were Bennie’s tests and homework assignments. Mrs. Lewis said, “Ma’am, here is the proof that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-phifer/the-teacher-pulled-out-a-pile-of-papers-they-were-bennie-s-tests-and/) [Harold Phifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-phifer/) > [I just always loved mythology, ever since I was a kid. Greek mythology was something I remember learning about in fourth grade, and Egypt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-just-always-loved-mythology-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-greek-mythology/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know? I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/everybody-either-wanted-to-take-care-of-me-or-push-me-around-you-know/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) ## More by Jonathan Kozol > [Political struggle is the most important thing any of us can do as a citizen in a democracy; and that means the old joining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/political-struggle-is-the-most-important-thing-any-of-us-can-do-as-a/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. It will not work today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/separate-and-unequal-didn-t-work-100-years-ago-it-will-not-work-today/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“Unless we have the wealth to pay for private education, we are compelled by law to go to public school—and to the public school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/unless-we-have-the-wealth-to-pay-for-private-education-we-are/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [At present, black children are more segregated in their public schools than at any time since 1968. In the inner-city schools I visit, minority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/at-present-black-children-are-more-segregated-in-their-public-schools/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“I want to correct something I told you once,' she says. 'You asked me once if I thought white people wish that Puerto Rican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/i-want-to-correct-something-i-told-you-once-she-says-you-asked-me/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Let's concede that we have decided to let our children grow up in two separate nations, and lead two separate kinds of lives. If,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-let-our-children-grow-up-in-two/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [When I was young, I was religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/when-i-was-young-i-was-religious/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Our political establishment refuses to use the word 'segregated.' They call the schools diverse, which means half black, half Hispanic, and maybe two white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/our-political-establishment-refuses-to-use-the-word-segregated-they/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > ['Savage Inequalities' was about school finance, and 'Amazing Grace' primarily dealt with medical and social injustices in New York. But with 'Ordinary Resurrections,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/savage-inequalities-was-about-school-finance-and-amazing-grace/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Discrimination is alive and soaring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/discrimination-is-alive-and-soaring/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [If you could lead through testing, the U.S. would lead the world in all education categories. When are people going to understand you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/if-you-could-lead-through-testing-the-u-s-would-lead-the-world-in-all/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [No Child Left Behind widens the gap between the races more than any piece of educational legislation I've seen in 40 years. It denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-widens-the-gap-between-the-races-more-than-any/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [An awful lot of people come to college with this strange idea that there's no longer segregation in America's schools, that our schools are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/an-awful-lot-of-people-come-to-college-with-this-strange-idea-that/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The answers I remember longest are the ones that answer questions that I didn't think of asking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-answers-i-remember-longest-are-the-ones-that-answer-questions/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) [Explore all 151 Jonathan Kozol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## More Behind quotes > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [I'm not the type of player that's going to run in behind or go past three and score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-crouch/i-m-not-the-type-of-player-that-s-going-to-run-in-behind-or-go-past/) [Peter Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-crouch/) > [I hadn't been to drama school. I hadn't been to university and acted there. I had no qualifications behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/i-hadn-t-been-to-drama-school-i-hadn-t-been-to-university-and-acted/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [For girls who want to get their waistline down a little bit and don't have any weights in the house, they can actually use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepa/for-girls-who-want-to-get-their-waistline-down-a-little-bit-and-don-t/) [Pepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepa/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [I'm not on any social media; I don't even know what things are. I'm so behind the times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemarie-dewitt/i-m-not-on-any-social-media-i-don-t-even-know-what-things-are-i-m-so/) [Rosemarie DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemarie-dewitt/) > [I think we were raised in a nice Texas Jewish family where education was the most important thing, and close behind that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loeb/i-think-we-were-raised-in-a-nice-texas-jewish-family-where-education/) [Lisa Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loeb/) > [I am hands-on in any project that I am associated with. I just don't want to put my face or name and lend it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-am-hands-on-in-any-project-that-i-am-associated-with-i-just-don-t/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [I don't really have loads of friends - three or four who are close. The thing that I love the most is playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-odell/i-don-t-really-have-loads-of-friends-three-or-four-who-are-close-the/) [Tom Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-odell/) > [There's something about the superheroes and the idea behind their relationship with humans, whether it's a metaphor for the better part of ourselves, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-gregg/there-s-something-about-the-superheroes-and-the-idea-behind-their/) [Clark Gregg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-gregg/) > [I refuse to say things behind people's backs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-refuse-to-say-things-behind-people-s-backs/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [There's a lot of mountain climbers trapped inside of bodies of people behind the counter at Kinko's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-a-lot-of-mountain-climbers-trapped-inside-of-bodies-of-people/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [From every little territory I've been, I've picked something up, things that I could use to better my game, to take with me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-babel/from-every-little-territory-i-ve-been-i-ve-picked-something-up-things/) [Ryan Babel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-babel/) > [I was a photographer. That's how I began my career, behind the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/i-was-a-photographer-that-s-how-i-began-my-career-behind-the-camera/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) [Browse all 1,625 Behind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning gains, they're testing gains. That's why they don't last. The law is a distraction from things that really count.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Kozol" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gains-aren-t-learning-gains-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behind" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gains-aren-t-learning-gains-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/jonathan-kozol-2747_behind_no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gain_1043333.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains aren't learning gains, they're testing gains. That's why they…” — Jonathan Kozol", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jonathan Kozol", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No Child Left Behind's fourth-grade gains...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gains-aren-t-learning-gains-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-s-fourth-grade-gains-aren-t-learning-gains-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```