▁as ▁chief ▁spons or , ▁which ▁a ims ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁achiev ement ▁gap , ▁measures ▁student ▁performance , ▁provides ▁options ▁to ▁parents ▁with ▁children ▁in ▁low - perform ing ▁schools , ▁and ▁targets ▁more ▁federal ▁fund ing ▁to ▁low - in come ▁schools . ▁Crit ics , ▁including ▁Senator ▁John ▁Ker ry ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Education ▁Association , ▁say ▁schools ▁were ▁not ▁given ▁the ▁resources ▁to ▁help ▁meet ▁new ▁standards , ▁although ▁their ▁argument ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁prem ise ▁that ▁authorization ▁levels ▁are ▁sp ending ▁promises ▁instead ▁of ▁sp ending ▁caps . ▁The ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁Education ▁and ▁the ▁Work force ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ' s ▁overall ▁fund ing ▁increased ▁by ▁US $ 1 4 ▁billion ▁since ▁the ▁en act ment ▁of ▁N CL B ▁in ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁going ▁from ▁US $ 4 2 . 6 ▁billion ▁to ▁US $ 5 6 . 6 ▁billion ▁in ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Some ▁state ▁govern ments ▁are ▁ref using ▁to ▁implement ▁prov isions ▁of ▁the ▁act ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁ade qu ately ▁fund ed . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁USA ▁Today ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁had ▁paid ▁US $ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁African - American ▁conserv ative ▁political ▁comment ator ▁Arm strong ▁Williams ▁" to ▁promote ▁the ▁law ▁on ▁his ▁nation ally ▁synd ic ated ▁television ▁show ▁and ▁to ▁ur ge ▁other