Statement by Brenda Welburn on the New No Child Left Behind Act Regulations

Alexandria, VA -- Brenda Welburn, Executive Director of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), issued the following statement regarding the introduction of new proposed regulations concerning the accountability and graduation rate requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act:

“True to her word, Secretary Margaret Spellings yesterday unveiled significant policy changes to the core of the No Child Left Behind Act in the form of proposed regulations in lieu of congressional action in reauthorizing the law. This comprehensive set of reforms would make important changes to the scale and scope of the law.”

“We appreciate the Secretary’s clarification that the existing law allows states to use multiple measures in their assessment of student achievement and for elaborating on the federal criteria states need to meet in order to be eligible for the growth model accountability pilot program. We also commend the Department for proposing a uniform calculation formula for all states to use in determining their districts’ and schools’ graduation rates. For years now, we have been calling attention to the need to raise high school graduation rates and proposing solutions to address the national dropout problem and the specific scourge of ‘dropout mills.’”

“But the most fundamental change being suggested is the proposal to disaggregate graduation rates by student demographic subgroup and to use those disaggregated rates in a high school’s adequate yearly progress (AYP) determination. Indeed, given this extensive expansion of NCLB’s accountability system, the potential for a dramatic increase in the number of schools identified as ‘in need of improvement,’ and the fact that these changes would take effect just before a new administration takes office, the Secretary is wise to solicit as much input from policymakers and practitioners as possible before proceeding any further. NASBE and state boards look forward to continuing to work with her and her staff to promote the policies, modifications, and flexibility necessary to help NCLB work in our states.”