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I'm pretty sure the mainlining movement predates and has little specifically to do with No Child Left Behind. It was a hot topic of conversation in the education pedagogy classes I took back in college (1992-1993) before I decided there was nothing I less wanted to do than spend every day with children.
Having all the kids of a similar age in the same classroom does not necessarily mean they need be doing exactly the same thing (anymore than in old one-room schools sixth graders did second grade work). And putting "gifted" student into a separate program also makes the assumption that being gifted puts you in an advanced functioning category in all areas. Advanced reading comprehension does not necessarily imply advanced logical abilities does not necessarily imply advanced mathematical skills.
My personal anecdote (which gives it a weight of exactly zero) is that my sister was put into an advanced program in second grade and made it to the seventh grade unable to read a non-digital clock.
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