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Skriven 2007-01-08 23:31:42 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0701086) for Mon, 2007 Jan 8
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Fact Sheet: The No Child Left Behind Act: Five Years of Results for
America's Children
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 8, 2007

Fact Sheet: The No Child Left Behind Act: Five Years of Results for
America's Children


ÿÿÿÿÿ President Bush Marks Fifth Anniversary of No Child Left Behind ÿÿÿÿÿ

Today, President Bush Met With Bicameral And Bipartisan Members Of Congress
On The Fifth Anniversary Of The No Child Left Behind Act. In 2001,
President Bush worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB), and he was proud to sign it into law in 2002. The
reauthorization of NCLB is one of the President's top priorities  and an
area where he believes both parties can work together to improve our
children's lives and enhance American competitiveness.
  þ The No Child Left Behind Act Is Based On The Belief That Every Child
    Can Learn, And Every School Must Teach. The President has said
    repeatedly that there must be no compromise on NCLB's basic principles:
    every student must read and do math at grade level or above by 2014. We
    must have higher expectations and demand greater accountability for
    every student using annual assessments and disaggregated data. States
    must continue to set standards and devise the tests. Reauthorizing NCLB
    is critical  if we were to lower standards and roll back
    accountability now, we would be leaving children to the status quo that
    failed them for decades.

The No Child Left Behind Act Is Showing Good Results

States Are Successfully Implementing No Child Left Behind. As of 2006, for
the first time all 50 States and the District of Columbia have
accountability plans in place as well as reading/language arts and
mathematics assessments for grades 3-8, plus one assessment in high school.
The percentage of classes taught by a highly qualified teacher has risen to
91 percent. In addition, nearly 450,000 eligible students have received
free supplemental educational services or public school choice.

Student Achievement Is Rising. Between 2003 and 2005, 43 States and the
District of Columbia improved or held steady in all categories of students
tested in reading and math. In addition:
  þ More reading progress was made by 9-year-olds in the five years ending
    in 2004than in the previous 28 years combined.
  þ Reading and math scores for 9-year-olds and fourth-graders have reached
    all-time highs.
  þ Between 2003 and 2005, an additional 235,000 fourth-graders learned
    fundamental math skills.

Test Results Show The Achievement Gap Is Closing. According to the Nation's
Report Card, from 1999 to 2004:
  þ The gap between African-American and white 9-year-olds in reading
    narrowed by 9 points, to an all-time low.
  þ The gap between African-American and white 9-year-olds in math narrowed
    by 5 points, to an all-time low.
  þ The gap between Hispanic and white 9-year-olds in reading narrowed by 7
    points, to an all-time low.
  þ The gap between Hispanic and white 9-year-olds in math narrowed by 8
    points, to an all-time low.

We Must Continue To Build On No Child Left Behind's Progress. The President
called on the Committee leaders to strengthen NCLB by:
  þ Helping teachers close the achievement gap through incentives for
    effective teachers and for those who teach in the neediest schools;
  þ Strengthening our public schools and empowerðing parents with
    incentives for school reform and options for students to attend
    high-performing schools and receive after-school tutoring; and
  þ Measuring individual student progress to focusð interventions on
    students who have not reached grade level.

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