U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today made the following statement on legislation proposed by Senator Lamar Alexander to expand flexibility options for states under No Child Left Behind:

"For nearly six years under No Child Left Behind, states have made strides to hold schools in their communities accountable for educating America's students. Some flexibilities under the law have helped states implement more innovative approaches to learning and nuanced accountability systems to drive results. Today, Senator Alexander has proposed legislation that would expand flexibilities under No Child Left Behind to make the law more workable for states. His proposal provides states with additional options to tailor to the unique needs of their populations, while continuing to hold them accountable for achieving grade-level results for all students. Senator Alexander's legislation also offers incentives for states to strengthen their standards, helping to ensure students are challenged to reach their full academic potential.

"This legislation is a reasonable and responsible step forward as Congress moves toward reauthorizing No Child Left Behind. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Alexander and his colleagues as they develop a law that's in the best interest of America's children."

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