The following highlights the accomplishments of the Education Department and the President's education reform proposals for the first 100 days of President Bush's administration.

No Child Left Behind

On the second day of his Administration, President Bush outlined a comprehensive education reform proposal for America's elementary and secondary schools entitled No Child Left Behind.

Within the first 100 days of the new Administration, both the Senate and the House introduced versions of the President's No Child Left Behind plan as S. 1 and H.R. 1 respectively.

The Senate version of the education reform package was unanimously approved by the 20 members of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee.

The Administration has worked throughout the first 100 days with Senate leadership from both parties to hammer out a bipartisan agreement on education issues including expanding parental choice. The ongoing negotiations exemplify the President's goal that his Administration engages with Congress in a meaningful and civil debate on education reform.

Secretary Paige has already testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, the House Budget Committee, the Senate Budget Committee and House Appropriations Committee on the President's education reform proposal and the importance of demanding results from our Federal investment in education.

Secretary Paige has traveled to a total of 16 states and has talked to state leaders, mayors, school leaders, and dozens of education and business groups about the President's No Child Left Behind plan for reforming education.

School Visits

Within the first 100 days of the new Administration, Secretary Paige has visited school campuses in 15 states stretching from California to Maine. Secretary Paige has met with hundreds of students, teachers, administrators and parents in those schools to discuss the President's No Child Left Behind plan and how it will help their students and schools.

Secretary Paige, Mrs. Bush and the President began visiting local schools during Inauguration weekend and have met with students, teachers and parents on several campuses in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

Budget Increase for Education at All Levels

Secretary Paige announced that the Education Department will receive the largest percentage spending increase of any domestic federal department under the President's budget - 11.5% or $4.6 billion, or 5.9% or $2.5 billion at the program level. Under President Bush's plan, spending for the Education Department would include:

• The largest increase ever requested by a President in his budget to help expand educational opportunities for children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

• Greater access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds by increasing the Pell Grant program by $1 billion - pushing the maximum student grant award to its highest level ever;

• Support for the growth of approximately 1,780 new and existing charter schools to enhance public school choice and promote innovative educational programs.

At a press conference in April, Secretary Paige announced that despite billions in federal spending on Title I, the reading scores of America's fourth graders on NAEP have been stagnant over the last decade. Days later he announced that the President will invest almost $1 billion in his Reading First program in the year to come in order to make sure that every American child can read at grade level by the 3rd grade.

Department Leadership

The President has announced the selection of experienced and talented individuals who will work with Secretary Paige as his undersecretary, deputy secretary, general counsel, assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, assistant secretary for educational research and improvement and assistant secretary for vocational and adult education.

Attacked Past Mismanagement and Fraud

Before the end of the first 100 days of the new Administration, Secretary Paige announced an initiative to address persistent fraud and mismanagement arising during the previous Administration that have tarnished the reputation of the Education Department. Secretary Paige has already put in place a management strike team and external team of advisors who will work to make certain that money for America's children is not wasted in Washington, D.C.

Launched Project SERV

Secretary Paige accelerated the grant-making process under the new Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) in order to provide immediate and much needed assistance to the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego in the aftermath of the two school shootings in that district.

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