I applaud the Council of the Great City Schools for releasing "Beating the Odds," an interesting and useful report on the progress of America's urban schools. The report suggests that we are starting to see some definite signs of improvement since we began implementing No Child Left Behind two years ago. I am more convinced than ever that we are on the right path.

"Beating the Odds" indicates that the achievement gap in reading and math between African-Americans and whites, and Hispanics and whites in large cities is narrowing for fourth- and eighth-grade students. And it appears, according to the report, that our big city schools are closing the gap at a faster rate than the statewide rate. Not only are the achievement gaps closing, the report states, but also math and reading achievement are improving.

According to the report, in certain large school districts, African-Americans and Hispanic students scored as well or better than their counterparts in the nation as a whole in reading and math in the fourth and eighth grades. These data are not inconsistent with recent findings by the National Assessment of Educational Progress' Trial Urban District Assessment in Reading and Math 2002-03. I am encouraged by this news.

These findings are especially significant because research shows that it is often the students in the large city schools who need the most help and face the greatest odds. Clearly, this report demonstrates that if you challenge students, they will rise to the occasion. This concept is at the fundamental core of No Child Left Behind, because we can no longer mask our challenges in the aggregate of our successes. We must make sure that all children, regardless of their skin color and zip codes, have the opportunity to a high-quality education.

This report provides a context for understanding the challenges of large urban school districts and how serious they are about improving teaching and learning. The findings are evidence of that. I urge everyone to take note of the good news about student achievement in our big cities and to keep up the good work. We're seeing progress, but there is still much work to be done. We must not rest until every child receives a high-quality education. Together, we can close the achievement gap.

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