no child left behind (Score 1)

The effects of NCLB were an issue that candidates ran on in 2004 school board races in major cities. The gist is that since schools don't have the resources to meet the test score standards, the only way to hit those targets is to force underperforming students out, boosting the average.

And that's reflected in part by these statistics. I'm sure un(der)funded mandates like NCLB aren't the only factor here. But it definitely is one of them.