As an avid reader of cookbooks, I can tell a lot about the potential success of a recipe just by reading it. Of course, the truth is in the tasting, but some recipes are destined for success, and some doomed from the beginning.

The No Child Left Behind Act is like a recipe in several respects. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings often repeats her mantra, “what gets measured, gets done,” and NCLB quantifies students and schools into a mathematical formula with a single result of 100% proficiency.