January 14, 2008
NCLB ANNIVERSARY PROMPTS RENEWED CALLS FOR REAUTHORIZATION: Growth Models, High School Reform Emerge as Points of Agreement
Earlier this month, in separate statements recognizing the sixth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), President Bush, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said all the right things about wanting to work together to finish the reauthorization of the landmark law as soon as possible. And while there were undercurrents of agreement in their rhetoric, their statements also had elements of a familiar but increasingly contentious debate that greatly contributed to the delay of the legislation's renewal throughout last year-namely that Bush and Spellings continue to urge only minor changes in the law whereas Kennedy and Miller maintain that meaningful changes are needed.

November 19, 2007
NCLB REAUTHORIZATION POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT YEAR: Tight Legislative Calendar Combined with Policy Differences Contribute to Delay
It appears that any renewal of the landmark education law will have to wait until next year. In fact, as a November 6 article in the New York Times points out, neither the House nor the Senate has produced a bill that would formally start the reauthorization process despite "despite dozens of hearings, months of public debate and hundreds of hours of Congressional negotiation."

October 22, 2007
NCLB TIMETABLE IN QUESTION: Discussions Bog Down Over Proposal to Provide Greater Flexibility in Meeting Accountability Provisions
In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on July 30, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) stated his intention to have the U.S. House of Representatives pass a renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) during the month of September. In the following weeks, Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) released a 435-page draft plan for reauthorizing NCLB and held a marathon hearing that lasted over six hours and allowed over forty witnesses the opportunity to comment on the Miller/McKeon draft. Since then, however, talks on the reauthorization of NCLB have bogged down as Republican lawmakers have grown concerned about what they interpret as a watering down of the law's accountability provisions.

October 9, 2007
FROM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND TO EVERY CHILD A GRADUATE: Members of Congress and Staff Vow that High Schools Will Be Included in NCLB Reauthorization at High School Policy Conference
U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and U.S Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), along with Democratic and Republican staff from the Senate and House education committees, were emphatic that the needs of the nation's secondary schools and their students would be addressed in the revision of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that is currently being negotiated by Congress. They were among the speakers at the October 4-5 national high school policy conference hosted by the Alliance for Excellent Education, which brought together local, state, and national education leaders to discuss federal strategies for improving the achievement and attainment levels of the nation's struggling middle and high school students.

September 24, 2007
HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON NCLB REAUTHORIZATION: Alliance President Offers Testimony on NCLB and High Schools
Continuing its work on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the House Education and Labor Committee held a marathon hearing on September 10 that lasted over six hours and featured over forty witnesses, including Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. The hearing allowed witnesses the opportunity to comment on the Miller/McKeon staff discussion draft for the reauthorization of NCLB, which was released earlier in the month.

September 10, 2007
NCLB REDUX: House Committee Releases Draft Language on NCLB Reauthorization, Includes Significant New Programs for High Schools
On August 28, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) released a 435-page plan for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and invited education stakeholders to submit comments on it by September 5. The draft, which only included Title I of NCLB, contains significant new provisions for high schools. It also outlines plans to revamp the accountability system by revising how Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is calculated and includes new interventions for schools that fail to meet achievement goals.
MORE NCLB: House Committee Releases Draft Language on Revamped Striving Readers Program, Teacher Pay for Performance Plan, and the Rest of NCLB
On September 6, the House Education and Labor Committee released a staff discussion draft of the remaining titles (Titles II-XI) for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The draft includes language that would officially authorize the Striving Readers program; it currently exists only as a demonstration program through the appropriations bills.

August 6, 2007
MILLER TIME: Committee Chairman Outlines NCLB Improvement Priorities; Sets September Goal for House Reauthorization of the Law
In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on July 30, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) stated his intention to have the U.S. House of Representatives pass a renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) during the month of September.

July 23, 2007
EVERY STUDENT COUNTS: New Legislation Would Fix Flaws in NCLB Related to Reporting and Calculating High School Graduation Rates
Although graduation rates are a fundamental indicator of how well the nation’s public school system is performing, inaccurate data, misleading calculations and reporting, and flawed accountability systems have resulted in states reporting graduation rates that often overstate the percentages of students who earn high school diplomas. As a result, unacceptably low graduation rates have been obscured, and the American public has largely been left in the dark about how many students drop out of high school.

July 9, 2007
IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT: New Alliance Brief Finds Flaws in NCLB’s Design and Implementation for the Nation’s High Schools
Five years ago, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed with bipartisan support in Congress because members from both political parties decided that the nation needed to close the achievement gaps that exist between students of different racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. They also agreed that schools should be held accountable for the success of all students. However, In Need of Improvement: NCLB & High Schools, a new issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education, finds flaws in NCLB’s design and implementation for dealing with the unique challenges that exist in the nation’s high schools.
AMERICANS SPEAK: Seventh Annual Survey From ETS Finds Majority of the Public Supports NCLB Reauthorization
Parents, teachers, and school administrators strongly support the renewal, or reauthorization, of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), according to Standards, Accountability, and Flexibility: Americans Speak on No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, a survey released last month by ETS. While the survey finds that less than half (45 percent) of the public thinks that they know a great deal or fair amount about NCLB, it finds that only 16 percent of the public, 25 percent of teachers, and 22 percent of administrators believe Congress should not reauthorize the law. However, it adds that teachers and administrators are clear in calling for major changes in NCLB when Congress considers its renewal.

April 30, 2007
GENTLEMEN (AND LADIES), START YOUR HEARINGS: Congress Considers How Upcoming NCLB Rewrite Should Address High School Reform
With the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) up for renewal this year and dismal high school graduation rates in headlines throughout the United States, Congress has started to consider ways that it can use the reauthorization of NCLB to improve student outcomes in high school. Last week, both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives held hearings on NCLB and high schools; Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise appeared as a witness at both.

March 19, 2007
NO COMMITTEE LEFT BEHIND: House and Senate Education Committees Hold Joint Hearing on NCLB Reauthorization
In a rare joint hearing of House and Senate education committees last week, a bipartisan collection of Senators and Representatives made it clear that they would like to move forward with the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as soon as possible. Lawmakers also reiterated their belief in NCLB’s overall goal of getting every child to proficiency in reading and math by 2014.

February 20, 2007
BEYOND NCLB: Bipartisan Commission on NCLB Issues Recommendations on Improving Landmark Education Law
On February 13, the Commission on No Child Left Behind issued a 230-page blueprint, complete with seventy-five separate recommendations on how Congress and the president can revamp the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Among the recommendations are calls for teachers to demonstrate effectiveness in the classroom, more help for chronically low-performing schools, voluntary national standards, longitudinal data systems, and an additional assessment in twelfth grade to ensure that high school graduates are prepared for college or for work.

January 22, 2007
NCLB TURNS FIVE: Key Players in Reauthorization Process Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of Landmark Education Law, Begin Discussions on How to Improve It
January 8 marked the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the landmark education law that brought increased accountability to the nation’s schools and set a goal of getting all students performing at grade level in reading and math by 2014. During a series of ceremonies and events held that day, many of the key players from five years ago gathered, not only to celebrate the anniversary, but also to talk about ways to improve the law, which is scheduled to be reauthorized this year.