I have read several analyses of the No Child Left Behind bill and none claims that federal funds are directly linked to changes in test scores, either positive or negative.

I believe that low initial test scores trigger more money for poor-performing schools, but it is not logical to reduce that money if test scores go up. That is incentive for the program to fail.

Neither is it reasonable to cut funds if a poor school gets worse. Many reasons for the decline, such as changes in the neighborhood demographics.

Fact is, NCLB has been quite successful in identifying problems and addressing them. It has also been the reason for a 40%+ increase in federal funding, which is overall a good thing.