No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB), signed by President George W. Bush was supported overwhelming by both political parties and signified a major overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The introduction of NCLB led to a series of accountability measures in English Language Arts and mathematics in grades 6-8 beginning in 2005-2006. Schools are identified as in good standing or in need of improvement based on the results of these assessments, to include the disaggregation of test data to determine the success of sub-group populations.

In the wake of NCLB, middle school advocates are faced with current reality of high-stakes assessment while encouraging and supporting the implementation of middle-level program components to include: advisory, teaming, evaluation and the integration of curriculum across disciplines. This study examined how teachers in high, moderate, and low need middle schools perceived the implementation of middle-level program components, attitudes toward No Child Left Behind, and instructional practice related to test preparation.