No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

Question:

Currently, the No Child Left Behind Act requires that students' reading and mathematics skills -- and, eventually, their science skills, as well -- be tested annually. Down the road, will schools also be required to test students in other subject areas?

U.S. Department of Education:

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act doesn't require annual statewide testing in other subjects, but that doesn't mean that individual states won't decide to also test students in history, geography, or writing skills. Many states recognize how important it is to measure whether schools are seeing student gains in every academic area, and to ensure that parents aren't disappointed with their children's education. No Child Left Behind focuses on reading and math because those subjects are key to the mastery of all other subjects and to a child's future success.

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.