This op-ed by Secretary Spellings appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on November 14, 2006.

When he signed the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act into law, President Bush said the law's "first principle is accountability."

Five years later, it's a good time to hold the law itself accountable. Is it doing what it promised? Is it working for Wisconsin's and America's kids?

The answer, on both counts, is yes.

No Child Left Behind was the nation's collective statement that every child can learn and must be taught.

States would set high standards against which to measure student performance, while the federal government would provide the resources, flexibility and choices needed to make reform work. Above all, schools would be held accountable for annual progress toward the goal of every student reaching grade level or better in reading and math by 2014.

Accountability is NCLB's first pillar of reform. The law represents the latest renewal of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was intended to ensure a quality education for all in exchange for increased federal funding.

For 40 years, however, few paid much attention. There was no accountability for student achievement and virtually no consequences for not following the law.

Today, thanks to NCLB, Wisconsin and 49 other states have accountability plans in place, holding schools responsible for improved student achievement. Every state measures student performance annually in grades 3-8 and once more in high school. And every state separates student information by student group so parents and teachers can learn who is falling behind and needs extra help.

This is especially critical when it comes to reading. Reading is the key that unlocks every other subject.

Before NCLB, reading scores nationwide had been stagnant at best. Fourth-grade reading scores actually fell during the 1990s, according to the Nation's Report Card.

Since NCLB, more reading progress has been made in five years than in the previous 28 years combined. Achievement gaps between Hispanic and African-American 9-year-old students and their white peers have shrunk to historic lows. In 2005, a record 85 percent of Wisconsin third-graders scored at the proficient or advanced levels on the Wisconsin Reading Comprehension Test, a 22-point increase in seven years.

Proven learning methods

That brings us to the second pillar of NCLB—proven learning methods. The federal Reading First grant program now is helping 1.7 million children learn to read by grade 3. The program is based on the findings of the National Reading Panel and reflects more than two decades of scientific research. That research has led to proven instructional methods, including phonics, vocabulary development, and comprehension.

Studies show that Reading First students receive on average nearly 100 extra minutes of classroom instruction per week. Ninety-seven percent of grant-receiving school districts say the program was an important factor in improving student achievement.

Of course, some schools continue to struggle. Their students should not be held hostage to broken promises.

Options for parents

So the third pillar of NCLB is choices and options for parents. Wisconsin is one of the pioneers of school choice, with the nation's oldest school choice program in Milwaukee.

Similarly, under NCLB, schools identified as "in need of improvement" must provide families with transfer and transportation to a higher-performing public or public charter school, if they so choose.

If a school continues to underperform, low-income parents may receive free tutoring or afterschool help, known as supplemental educational services. Nationwide, more than 300,000 eligible students have taken advantage of these options.

Local control, flexibility

The final reform pillar is local control and flexibility. Under the Constitution, states have primary responsibility for educating their children. NCLB respects this.

Under the law, states have unprecedented flexibility to assign federal resources to meet local needs. This includes Highly Qualified Teacher grants to place a qualified teacher in every classroom; Title I School Improvement Grants to turn around underperforming schools; or Special Education Grants, which have increased by 36 percent for Wisconsin's schools since 2001.

We are committed to working with states to help them comply with NCLB.

Earlier this year the Department of Education approved several amendments to Wisconsin's accountability plan that will make it easier for the state to measure and report its results.

States that follow the "bright lines" of the law—assessing students regularly, disaggregating data, hiring highly qualified teachers and informing parents of their options in a timely manner—may qualify for new flexibilities.

High school reform is still needed

NCLB is working as intended. But it's incomplete. Our high schools continue to lag behind. We live in a world in which 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs require post-secondary education. And yet, 21 percent of Wisconsin's high school freshmen do not graduate on time. Nationwide, the figure rises to nearly one-third.

The president is working with Congress to offer incentives for high schools to offer more challenging coursework, particularly in math and science, and for good teachers to serve in the most challenging schools.

In NCLB, we have built a solid foundation for success. Standing on its four pillars of reform, Wisconsin's teachers and students will reach ever-greater academic heights.

Margaret Spellings is the U.S. Secretary of Education.