THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202

September 2002

Dear Colleague:

This year began on a wonderful note for America's 50 million school children. When President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law on January 8, 2002, our Nation embarked on a new era in how we educate our children and how the federal government supports elementary and secondary education.

This historic reform gives states and school districts unprecedented flexibility in how they spend their education dollars, in return for setting standards for student achievement and holding students and educators accountable for results. The No Child Left Behind Act also provides more options for parents so that their children can get the best possible education. It also invests in teaching practices that have been demonstrated to work. In short, it aims to foster an environment in which every child can learn and succeed.

It is my pleasure to provide you with this desktop reference to the No Child Left Behind Act. It offers a clear and straightforward program-by-program look at the major reforms made by the new law. I hope you will find it useful as you implement the law. A more complete view of the law and a more comprehensive look at the regulations and other guidance that applies to the law is available at www.nclb.gov.

I want to thank you for your efforts on behalf of our young people. I wish you success in implementing No Child Left Behind, for you and your colleagues are the stewards of our children's future.

Sincerely,

Rod Paige