Marking the sixth anniversary of the landmark No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Department of Education's monthly TV show, Education News Parents Can Use, will explore progress in American education under the act with examples of achievement gains, parental choice options and award-winning schools. Among the guests will be Deputy Secretary Raymond Simon.

The program will air from 8 to 9 p.m. ET tonight on the Dish Network, dozens of PBS stations and numerous cable outlets. Others, including The Learning Channel, will broadcast the show on a tape-delayed basis. A complete listing of viewing options is available at www.ed.gov/edtv. In addition, the program will be available as an archived webcast at www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/.

The program will examine:

-- How do we know that No Child Left Behind is working?

-- What are the core principles of the law and what do they mean? How do they help students learn?

-- How can the reforms of the law be extended to high school and beyond, and why is this important to American competitiveness?

-- What kinds of options does No Child Left Behind offer to parents, especially those of students struggling in school? How can parents better take advantage of these choices or find out more about them?

-- What are some examples of award-winning schools that have all children learning at grade-level today, and what can other schools learn from their examples? And,

-- What new ideas have strengthened the act through the years, such as growth model pilots, teacher incentives, and other initiatives?

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will open the show with a taped greeting, followed by a live appearance by Deputy Secretary Simon, the Education Department's No. 2 official who oversees the key program offices that administer No Child Left Behind.

Also on hand will be Blue Ribbon School Principals Jennifer K. Moore of J.E.B. Stuart Elementary in Richmond, Va., Patricia Hunter of Maple Elementary in Seattle and Matthew Devan of Viers Mill Elementary in Rockville, Md. The final segment, entitled, "What Parents Need to Know About Preparing for and Excelling in School," will feature Mike Hudson, president of the National Center for Educational Accountability/Just for the Kids and Gerard Robinson, president of Black Alliance for Educational Options.

The Education News Parents Can Use TV series airs monthly during the school year.

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