Since the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, much has been said and written about the law by a variety of education observers, practitioners, and policymakers from both sides of the political aisle. With support from the Ford, Rockefeller, and Z. Smith Reynolds foundations, SECTQ (Southeast Center for Teaching Quality) completed this research study to present fine-grained data and compelling stories about the capacity of states and high-need districts and schools to respond to the challenges and opportunities inherent in the NCLB teaching quality mandates. The results of the study allow SECTQ to bring the valuable perspective of school practitioners to the debate regarding NCLB's effect on an undeniably critical element of school reform--teaching quality. This research has revealed that NCLB has the potential to be a welcomed impetus for creating teacher recruitment and retention strategies that address long-neglected barriers to higher levels of student achievement. Much needs to be done from the classroom to the Capitol to ensure that NCLB helps all students get the knowledgeable teachers they need and deserve. NCLB represents an unprecedented role for the federal government in educating the nation's children. (Contains 8 tables and 25 notes.) [For the companion report, "Unfulfilled Promise: Ensuring High Quality Teachers for Our Nation's Students. No Child Left Behind: A Status Report from Southeastern Schools," see ED509378.]