Sioux Falls, S.D. (March 11) – U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today joined Rep. John Thune, students, parents and teachers for an education pep rally at Washington High School, where he discussed President Bush's commitment to leaving no child behind and his proposed investments in education for South Dakota's students.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which President Bush signed in January, states and school districts will develop strong systems of accountability based upon student performance. The new law also gives those states and school districts increased local control and flexibility, removing federal red tape and bureaucracy and putting decision-making in the hands of those at the local and state levels. Parents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds will have options under the new law to participate in public school choice programs or obtain supplemental services such as tutoring. Also, teachers around the country will be encouraged to use teaching methods based upon scientific research that demonstrates that they work.

"Following the principles of this new law, all of us, working together, can create a new culture of achievement," Secretary Paige told the parents, teachers, students and others at the rally. "Living the principles of the law, we Americans can create a culture in this country where parents have more choices, teachers have more resources, districts have more flexibility, everyone has more information, and—most important—no child is left behind."

Secretary Paige also discussed how South Dakota's children will benefit from President Bush's proposed budget.

South Dakota would receive $196 million under the President's fiscal year 2003 budget request of $56.5 billion for the Department of Education, including for the department a record high $50.3 billion for discretionary programs, continuing his commitment to improve student achievement and to leave no child behind.

The $196 million for South Dakota would represent a boost of $9 million from the current level of federal education grants to the state.

"President Bush's budget demonstrates his continued commitment to meeting the needs of South Dakota's children. The president's proposed investments stretch from early childhood education through college and beyond," Paige said. "They not only will help us ensure every child has access to a quality education, but also will help us keep our economy sound and our homeland strong."

Increases in President Bush's 2003 budget request correspond to his determination to close the achievement and attainment gaps that persist among racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups across the country.

Under President Bush's proposed investments in new and existing programs that support the principles of the NoChild Left Behind Act of 2001, South Dakota would receive:

• $30,866,602 for Title I grants to local education agencies to give state and school districts additional resources to turn around low-performing schools, improve teacher quality, and ensure that no child is trapped in a failing school;

• $13,567,163 for Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, to give state and school districts the flexibility to adopt research-based strategies that will work best to meet their need for improving the quality of teaching and raising student achievement in the core academic subjects;

• $2,445,469 for Reading First to support comprehensive reading instruction for children in grades K-3;

• $500,000 for English Language Acquisition through a redesigned program that offers grants to help English language learners make progress in learning English and meeting the same high standards as all other students;

• $2,307,865 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program to help keep South Dakota's students and teachers safe in school; and

• $3,626,749 to help the state create standards for what a child should know and learn in reading and math in grades 3-8 and develop annual assessments that are aligned to those standards.

In addition, President Bush's proposal includes investments that support children and adults with disabilities, such as:

• $22,589,648 for special education grants to South Dakota; and

• $8,631,737 for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) state grant program to help individuals with disabilities prepare for, obtain and retain employment.

President Bush's proposal includes investments that will help ensure access to postsecondary education for low-income students and families, including $10.9 billion for the Pell Grant program, an increase of $549 million or 5.3 percent. This boost comes on top of the $1.3 billion supplemental for Pell Grants that the president is proposing for fiscal year 2002 in order to maintain the maximum Pell award at the $4,000 level specified by congressional appropriators. Under the proposed budget, $38,400,000 would be available to South Dakota's students.

More information about President Bush's proposed budget is available on the Department of Education's Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget03/index.html.

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