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The No Child Left Behind Act and the Role of the School Nurse
in the Assessment and Prevention of Stress
Related to Mandatory Academic Testing
By Lorinda L. Dishington, RN, BSN

In January of 2002, The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed by President George W. Bush as an attempt to reform education in the United States of America. The NCLB Act holds schools accountable for ensuring that they provide a high quality education to every student (U.S. Department of Education, n.d. a). Academic testing is one of the ways that the NCLB Act ensures that schools are meeting the needs of every student. This paper will discuss the role of the school nurse in assessment and prevention of stress related to mandatory academic testing required by the NCLB Act.

According to the NCLB Act, every student's reading and math ability must be tested annually in grades three through eight and then once again during grades ten through twelve. Schools are required to provide reasonable accommodations to children with disabilities and limited English proficiency (U.S. Department of Education, n.d. b). In Massachusetts, the testing is known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), and students are tested in the following subjects: English language arts, mathematics, science, technology/engineering, history, and social science (Massachusetts Department of Education, n.d.). Students in Massachusetts must pass the MCAS examination in order to graduate from high school.

The testing required by the No Child Left Behind Act may be stressful to students. School nurses need to be aware of the effects that stress has on the students. School nurses view a student's physical and mental health as integral components of his or her academic success (National Association of School Nurses, 1972). The Mayo Clinic (2005) identifies many signs and symptoms of stress including: headaches, anxiety, over/under eating, palpitations, shortness of breath, mood swings, sleep disturbances, abdominal pain, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. School nurses must treat the whole person, not just the symptoms that they present with. Stress assessment should be part of the routine health assessment done when students come to the nurse's office with these symptoms.

School nurses can play a key role in the prevention of stress-related illness by educating the students and the staff about stress. Advocating for stress awareness and stress management can be accomplished through bulletin boards, workshops, newsletters, and by taking advantage of the teaching moments that present themselves during the nurse's one-to-one interaction with students and staff.

In conclusion, nurses play a vital role in the health and academic success of the students they care for through assessment and prevention of stress related to mandatory testing.

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References

Massachusetts Department of Education. (n.d.). Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. Retrieved June 28, 2006 from http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/overview_faq.html?section=1.

Mayo Clinic. (2005). Signs and symptoms of stress: prompt recognition is crucial. Retrieved June 27, 2006 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-symptoms/SR00008_D .

National Association of School Nurses. (1972). Positions statement: Mental Health of Students. Retrieved June 27, 2006 from http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=231.

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d. a). Facts and terms every parent should know about NCLB. Retrieved June 27, 2006 from http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/parents/parentfacts.html.

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d. b). Testing: frequently asked questions. Retrieved June 27, 2006 from http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/parents/parentfacts.html .