George W. Bush entered the White House determined to change federal education policy. In his first year as the president, Bush forged a bipartisan consensus around the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which he signed into law on January 8, 2002. For the first time, states receiving federal K-12 education funding would be required to hold districts and schools accountable for the achievement of students, regardless of their income levels, special education status, or ethnic, racial, or native-language backgrounds. As President Bush prepares to leave office on January 20, 2009. he calls the NCLB law one of his important domestic accomplishments. This article describes the flaws in NCLB's accountability system, discusses why it is not popular among educators, and describes how President-elect Barack Obama might implement some changes to NCLB.