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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- President Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today celebrated the two-year anniversary of the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act -- the most significant piece of education reform since Brown v. Board of Education -- by hailing the law's sweeping accomplishments to date during a roundtable discussion at the West View Elementary School in Knoxville.

"Public education...is the gateway to hope," President Bush said. "It is essential for this country to have a public education system that responds to the needs of every child so that we can meet great objectives for this country. It's trite, it's been said a lot, but it's true: The future of the country depends on our capacity to educate every child."

The sweeping reforms of No Child Left Behind are designed to change the culture of America's schools by ensuring that all children can read and do math at grade level, closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility to state and local schools, giving parents more options about their child's education and teaching students based on what works. During the past two years, the Department of Education has worked aggressively with states to implement the law. (Click here for a complete fact sheet about No Child Left Behind.)

"No Child Left Behind promises a more just, equitable society -- one in which all our nation's students will be given the attention they deserve, regardless of their skin color, accent or zip code," Secretary Paige said. "The law aims to improve all our schools because we can do better and we must do better. Our nation's future and our economic security depend on our making sure that all children receive a quality education. The roots of this revolutionary reform are taking hold, as we've seen by the number of positive changes the law has wrought and the number of lives it has touched. Over the coming years, that tree of knowledge will continue to grow and blossom."

Under No Child Left Behind's strong accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency. In addition, they must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance; take corrective actions; and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.

Editor's Note: (Click here for a complete fact sheet about No Child Left Behind.)

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