This letter to the editor by Secretary's Regional Representative Valarie M. Smith appeared in the Asbury Park Press on August 18, 2006.

Great teachers and parents can instill a love of learning in children. But only testing can tell us what has actually been learned. ("No Child Left Behind emphasizes test-taking over a love of learning," commentary, July 30.)

Testing is as old as school itself, and will always be an important part of the educational process. Regular assessments, based on rigorous standards, let educators know when the curriculum needs to be updated or their professional development needs to be honed. Most importantly, testing shows teachers and administrators the skill level of each individual student. Without measurement, schoolchildren can end up undiagnosed, uncorrected and left to fall through the cracks—"shuffled through the system," in President Bush's words.

That is the unacceptable system we had before the No Child Left Behind Act. Today, our children are achieving new heights, with rising test scores and a narrowing achievement gap. Students in large urban school districts, many from low-income families, are making some of the greatest gains in the country. In New Jersey, students improved academically on nine out of 10 exams for reading, writing, math and science between 2004 and 2005. Their efforts have been aided by a 50 percent increase in federal education funding for the state since Bush took office.

Because we are expecting the best, we're starting to see it. "All children can learn" is not just "high-flown rhetoric," as the writer put it. It's our governing philosophy. And most importantly, it's working.

Valarie M. Smith
Secretary's Regional Representative
U.S. Department of Education