This letter to the editor by Donna Foxley appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on May 4, 2005.

An April 20 article in the Daily News regarding No Child Left Behind conveyed some common misperceptions in the education community about this important federal law ("Federal act's flaws squeeze schools"). Most important, comments from some local educators ignored the law's goal to assist states in improving education for all their students.

Specifically, the article noted it is not enough for schools to show a high success rate overall. That's exactly the point! For too many years, minority children, children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and children with special needs were falling behind—and being masked by aggregate increases in student test scores. No Child Left Behind makes sure test scores are reported to the public for all these groups of students so the community can know exactly where success is occurring and where improvements can be made.

What educators quoted in the article also forgot to mention is that school systems have a great deal of flexibility in testing students they seem to have the most concern with: those with limited English skills and those with disabilities.

No Child Left Behind is an innovative law that gives states the choice to accept additional support from the federal government for K-12 education (support that includes $188 million for Alaska in 2005). This increase in funding, coupled with increased accountability, is the right course for Alaska's students.

Donna Foxley
Secretary's Regional Representative
U.S. Department of Education
Seattle, Washington