On Jan. 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the reauthorized version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as "No Child Left Behind." According to the president, this legislation "will ensure that no child in America is left behind through historic education reforms based on real accountability, unprecedented flexibility for states and school districts, greater local control, more options for parents and more funding for what works."

As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. While no one can argue with the overall goal of enhancing educational opportunity for all students - a goal strongly shared already by schools across the country, including the Roslyn Public Schools - some of the provisions of the legislation raise as many questions as they answer.

The final shape of ESEA will largely be determined at the state level as states like New York develop their own responses to the legislation. It has been a year since I first wrote about "No Child Left Behind" in my column on the eve of its enactment, and local schools are still waiting for definitive word from the New York State Education Department about its implementation.

Nevertheless, since the law may have serious implications for many public schools, I thought it would be worthwhile to review some of the major provisions that you may have read about in the last year.

Testing: The law requires that all states develop and administer annual proficiency tests in reading and math for all students in grades 3 through 8. These tests must align with each state's current academic content standards. While states theoretically are being given latitude in determining their own standards and developing their own tests, a sample of students in every state will be required to take the 4th and 8th grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in math and reading every year to verify the results of the statewide assessments that all students are required to take.

Accountability: States will be required to establish a definition of student proficiency using a variety of indicators. States are required to raise the bar gradually, in equal increments, with the requirement that 100 percent proficiency be reached within 12 years.

Parents with a child in a school that has been identified as needing improvement would be allowed to transfer their child to a better performing public or charter school within their district.

Teacher Quality: Beginning with the first school year after the bill is enacted, each local school receiving federal Title I funds will be required to ensure that all teachers hired and teaching in a program supported by those funds are fully qualified. In addition, states will be required to submit a plan to ensure that every teacher in the state is fully qualified to teach in his or her subject area by the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

Educators and parents are justified in wondering how these and other provisions in the law correspond to the claim that schools are being given "greater local control" over their children's education.

Much of what "No Child Left Behind" envisions, such as outstanding student achievement, highly qualified professional staff and strong parent involvement, are already hallmarks of the Roslyn Public Schools. Therefore, many of the law's provisions will have little impact on a school district like ours.

However, the vastly increased emphasis on test scores, which has already come under intense scrutiny and criticism in recent years, will affect all schools and will continue to be a contentious issue.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the law's implementation and provide updates to parents and the community. Whatever the challenges that "No Child Left Behind" ultimately present for the Roslyn Public Schools, I have every confidence that we will be able to meet them.