U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Highlights No Child Left Behind at Texas State Capitol

Addresses Joint Session of Texas Senate Committee on Education and House Higher Education Committee
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today addressed a joint session of the Texas Senate Committee on Education and House Higher Education Committee in Austin, Texas, and discussed how the Federal government can support and facilitate further academic gains made by Texas students under No Child Left Behind. Secretary Spellings applauded Texas’ efforts to increase accountability and discussed opportunities for improvement and innovation under No Child Left Behind.

“Texas is moving in the right direction by raising its graduation requirements, starting with the class of 2011, to four years of both math and science. Texas students have also been recognized by the Nation’s Report Card as ranking in the top half of states in reading and in the top ten in math,” said Secretary Spellings. “Six years after No Child Left Behind changed the education game in this nation, we can be proud of where it has brought us. The law’s core principles guide our conversation on education, and now is the time to build on the momentum.”

At the joint committee meeting, Secretary Spellings applauded Texas’ strong system for reporting student achievement data. At the same time, she challenged Texas to ensure high scores on State tests also reflect high State standards. In addition, she discussed other opportunities for improvement that could help build on Texas’ progress such as adjusting the n-size to ensure students with disabilities and limited English proficiency do not slip through the cracks.

Noting changing demographics and rising economic demands, Secretary Spellings emphasized the need to equip every child with a highly qualified education and prepare them for the 21st century global economy. She urged that as a nation we must find ways to address now consensus areas such as growth models to allow schools to measure individual student performance over time; a more nuanced accountability system to distinguish between schools missing performance goals across the board and those who come within range; take more aggressive steps to address and improve high school graduation rates; ensure that more eligible students are taking advantage of free tutoring; and do a better job of recruiting and preparing good teachers and getting them in to schools where they are needed most.

Last month, Secretary Spellings marked the sixth anniversary of No Child Left Behind with President Bush in Chicago, where he charged her with visiting States to discuss how the Federal government can work together with States to help them move forward under No Child Left Behind. Following her visit to Texas, Secretary Spellings will continue the dialogue on No Child Left Behind and priorities for 2008 next week with trips to Florida and North Carolina.

To view Mapping Texas’ Educational Progress for 2008, please visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/progress/texas.pdf.

For Mapping America’s Educational Progress 2008, visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/progress/nation.html.