The No Child Left Behind Act did increase students' test scores, however, it did not increase their overall quality of education. Some subjects are less focused because there is no testing in these areas, and many of these subjects have been shown to help improve children's educational experience. Although test scores have increased dramatically since the passage of No Child Left Behind, many teachers have been fired and schools reformed, so one has to wonder whether students are actually learning new material or simply learning better test-taking strategies . Additionally, many rural or poor schools across the nation have been labeled “failing” and closed, but the question of whether they really deserved to be closed remains unanswered. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Understandably, many schools are focusing on math and reading, as these are the main subjects tested. There is nothing wrong with this, however, some other subjects, such as science, history and the arts, are neglected, underfunded and even cut in some schools. In Diane Ravitch's March 2011 Newsweek article, she stated, "...Many districts have reduced time spent on arts, history, science, civics, foreign languages, physical education, literature and geography..." (para. 6). This quote shows how many subjects, which are essential to creating a good learning environment, are neglected. Fine arts, such as music and drama courses, are now lower priority or underfunded by schools due to the recession and are vital to children's learning experience. On the other hand, with a growing number of high school students taking AP courses for college credit, many do not have time to take additional tests beyond AP exams, which could cause students to become overwhelmed by tests, impacting hence their performance. “There are too many tests and no one knows what the results mean” (Downey, para. 28) One must wonder whether test scores are accurate, or is it just the result of teachers overpreparing students for tests, or students don't have many options other than math and reading on which to focus their education. There is no question that the passing of No Child Left Behind increased test scores across the nation and raised some students to a higher level of education. Soon after the passage of No Child Left Behind, there was a school in Texas that raised its rating from “Below Standards” to “Exceeding Standards” in the short span of a few years. However, some experts have questioned this school's methods, as the students took another test, in a different format for which they were not prepared, and again scored below standards. (Ravitch, para. 4) Another goal of No Child Left Behind was to give students more opportunities to take charge of their education. Twenty percent of eligible students took advantage of programs offered to them by No Child Left Behind. (Jennings, par. 13) Although this is a good number of people, some critics of No Child Left Behind question the remaining eighty percent. Some teachers focus on teaching their students to do well on tests, rather than actually teaching their subject. . A great example of this would be foreign language programs. Some people question the effectiveness of the tests.