There are many important things that children acquire as they grow up; the most important thing children get growing up is their education. The educational skills that children learn in school teach them the skills they need to function outside the classroom and in the world of work. Because education is one of the most important benefits in children's lives, it has emerged that in recent years the United States has fallen further behind its peers in international rankings. According to the 2009 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) education scores, the United States ranks at “33” (1), which is lower than the 2002 ranking of “18” (CNN). With such a drop in U.S. rankings, parents are wondering why American students are falling behind. The No Child Left Behind Act, standardized testing, and the widespread use of technology are some of the reasons the United States lags in education rankings. The No Child Left Behind Act was established with the goal of improving student achievement in school and closing the achievement gap among students; as Stecher, Vernez, and Steinburg state: “When Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), it set an ambitious goal for states, districts, and schools across the nation: All children will be proficient in reading and literacy. mathematics within the 2013-2014 school year” (1). While the No Child Left Behind Act was implemented with good intentions, the act itself is a major reason why the United States lags in educational rankings. One of the most common complaints parents have about the No Child Left Behind Act is the weakest link factor: The weakest student dictates the pace in the classroom. The weakest student... in the center of the paper... how the No Child Left Behind law is harming our children and our schools. Boston: Beacon, 2004. Print.MFF Publishing - The Pros and Cons of Educational Technology. Lowell Milken President of the Milken Family Foundation: Major advances in medical education and research. Network. October 26, 2011. "Research Center: Technology in Education." Education Week American education news site. Network. November 19, 2011. .Stecher, Brian M., Georges Vernez, and Paul S. Steinberg. Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind: Facts and Recommendations. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2010. Print.Wagner, Tony. The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools aren't teaching the new survival skills our children need, and what we can do about it. New York: Base, 2010. Print.