The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) by making significant changes in the major Federal programs that support schools’ efforts to educate the nation’s students.  NCLB places a major emphasis upon teacher quality as a factor in improving student achievement. 

The new Title II programs focus on preparing, training, and recruiting high-quality teachers and principals and require states to develop plans with annual measurable objectives that will ensure that all teachers teaching in core academic subjects such as English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography,  are highly qualified. Reaching this goal will require reform of traditional teacher training, which is usually conducted in colleges of education, as well as the innovative expansion of alternative routes to teacher licensure.  It will also require more effective in-service training and professional development for teachers currently in the classroom.

The purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title II, Part A, Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, is to increase the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and school districts improve teacher and principal quality and ensure that all teachers are highly qualified.