U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today approved Wyoming's state accountability system aligned with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Scott Jenkins, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental and interagency affairs, made the announcement during a visit to Arp Elementary School. He was joined by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Trent Blankenship.

"Wyoming's strong accountability plan shows a bold initiative by the state to do what is necessary to ensure that every student in Wyoming -- regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or disability -- has equal access to a high-quality education," Secretary Paige said. "I applaud state superintendent of public instruction Trent Blankenship and his team for their leadership and efforts to ensure that no child is left behind in Wyoming."

In an address to school officials and law makers, Jenkins said, "Wyoming worked very hard to find creative ways to hold every school in the state accountable -- no matter its size -- and I am honored to deliver the good news, on behalf of Secretary Paige, about the state's accountability plan."

Under NCLB's strong accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including disadvantaged students, achieve academic proficiency. In addition, they must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance, take corrective actions and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, must make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.

Wyoming is the 23rd state to gain approval. Other states whose plans have been approved include Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

No Child Left Behind is the landmark education reform law designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility, giving parents more options and teaching students based on what works.

Foremost among the four key principles is an insistence on stronger accountability for results. To achieve that, states must develop strong accountability systems or improve those already in place, establish high standards and hold all children to the same standards. They also must provide instruction by highly qualified teachers, which results in steady progress. All students must be proficient by the 2013-14 school year.

All states submitted draft accountability plans to the U.S. Department of Education by the Jan. 31 deadline. Following an initial review and technical assistance, if needed, the next step was onsite peer review of each state's proposed accountability plan. Teams of three peer reviewers -- independent, nonfederal education policy, reform or statistical experts -- conducted each peer review. Following a review of the team's consensus report, the department provided feedback to the state and worked to resolve any outstanding issues. Ultimately, Paige approved the state plan, as he did for Wyoming.

To date, all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have had peer reviews of their accountability plans. Additionally, the senior staff of the Department of Education has met with education officials from the states to discuss the specifics of their plans and the unique challenges and issues in each state.

Despite all the priorities competing for our tax dollars, President Bush's budget boosts federal education funding to $53.1 billion -- an $11 billion increase since the president took office. Wyoming alone will receive more than $133 million, including more than $70 million to implement NCLB. If the president's budget is approved, federal education funding for Wyoming will have gone up $29.7 million since he took office.

Wyoming's plan will be posted online in the coming days at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/CFP/csas/index.html.

For more information about the No Child Left Behind Act, go to www.nochildleftbehind.gov.

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