Songfacts®:

• On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. The concept behind the education bill was the creation of new standards and goals for the USA's public schools to ensure that no child is left behind. Many considered it a failure, and President Barack Obama repealed the Act in 2015.
  
  The titular phrase has since entered the vernacular. For West it takes on two different meanings within this song:
  
  1. When West's wife Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021, their four children faced an uncertain future. The parents have agreed joint custody and West is assuring them none of them will be "left behind."
  
  2. When Kanye West debuted the first of his weekly Sunday Services, critics wondered if he was dabbling in Christianity for a publicity stunt, but by the time he released his Jesus Is King album later in the year, it was clear the Chicago rapper had experienced a genuine conversion experience. During this song's chorus West sings of all the miracles God bestowed upon him. The breakdown of his marriage is a time of trial but he knows as a child of God, he can always count on his heavenly Father.
• Louisville-based singer Vory (formerly King Vory) provides much of the vocals on the song. The DreamChasers-affiliated artist first gained national attention in 2015 after appearing on Bryson Tiller's hit single "Don't.'" Over the next few years he earned some big-time writing credits for the likes of Drake ("Mob Ties"), The Carters ("Friends"), and Post Malone ("On the Road").
• West first previewed the song in a Beats Studio Buds commercial that premiered during Game 6 of the NBA finals. It features US athlete Sha'Carri Richardson practicing on an empty running track accompanied by a snippet of the song.
• West co-produced "No Child Left Behind" with:
  
  French musician Gesaffelstein. Best known for his hit collaboration with The Weeknd, "Lost in the Fire," Gesaffelstein previously worked with Kanye West on "Black Skinhead" and "Send It Up."
  
  California producer Dem Jointz, whose other West credits include "Wash Us In The Blood" and "Nah Nah Nah." Dem Jointz also worked with Janet Jackson on her Unbreakable album and Dr. Dre on his Compton set.
• Before releasing Donda, West held two listening events at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The most memorable moment of the second Donda event was at the end when West ascended high into the heavens through the open roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium as "No Child Left Behind" played to the crowd.
• Vory came up with the "No Child Left Behind" title. Kanye initially wanted to make the song theme "never abandon your child."
  
  "He was speaking about percentages of abortions and a lot of other things," he recalled to Billboard. "I suggested making the title another phrase, more of a quote. We just understand each other really well. I probably did that song in like five minutes."