April 7, 2005
NCSL Statement on Department of Education's Raising Achievement Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The following is the statement of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Executive Director, William Pound, in response to U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings' proposed changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.
"State legislators are heartened by the Raising Achievement Initiative that Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today. The proposal takes important steps toward addressing some of state legislators' myriad concerns about the federal No Child Left Behind Act -- concerns that were spelled out in the National Conference of State Legislatures' recently released comprehensive review of the law.
"Especially encouraging are elements of this new initiative that relate to testing special education students. State legislators, educators and especially affected students across the nation will appreciate these changes.
"The promise of greater flexibility for states in reaching the law’s goals --another aspect of the new initiative -- speaks to the underlying theme of the NCSL report, but is just that, a promise.
"We look forward to working with the Secretary and the Department to fill in the details of this pledge, so state legislatures, educators and parents can truly raise education achievement for all the nation’s children."
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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