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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2003

News Release

NEA Supports Proposals to Improve 'No Child Left Behind'  

Congressman's plan would bring fairness to measures of student progress 

Washington, D.C. - The National Education Association, on behalf of 2.7 million member-educators, supports the Student Testing Fairness Act introduced by U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio). The proposed legislation would make much-needed changes to the latest revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the `No Child Left Behind' law.

The Strickland bill recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for student achievement. The bill would end reliance on a single test as a measure of a student's achievement, give schools credit for improving student academic growth over time, and create reasonable ways to measure the skills and progress of students with disabilities and limited-English language proficiency.

Under the proposal (H.R. 3049), public school choice and supplemental services would be targeted specifically those students in subgroups that have failed to improve.

"Clearly there is a problem with the rigid and unrealistic rules of the so-called 'No Child Left Behind' law when 87 percent of schools in Florida and 51 percent in Pennsylvania failed to meet federal standards this year," said Reg Weaver, NEA president. "Many of these schools are high-quality schools that have shown progress in improving student achievement."

"Unless the new law is fixed, virtually all public schools will likely be labeled as failing to meet new federal standards over the next few years," Weaver said.  "The Strickland bill still insists on holding schools accountable, but does so in a realistic and workable manner."

The NEA and its affiliates remain committed to the goal of leaving no child behind by continuing to work on improving academic achievement, ensuring all students have a highly qualified teacher,  up-to-date textbooks and technology.  We urge Congress and the Administration to support reform efforts that we know will work, rather than impose unfunded mandates that hinder the progress and lower the standards that schools have already set for themselves. 

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.