U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today released the following statement on the Council of the Great City Schools' fifth edition of its Beating the Odds report:

"Each time we hear that students are making academic progress and the achievement gap is closing, it reaffirms our belief that No Child Left Behind is the right law at the right time for America's children. The new report from the Council of the Great City Schools shows that there was a continuing upward trend in student achievement in the nation's major inner-city schools through 2004. This is welcome news for students, their families and the nation.

"These findings would suggest that the work of urban educators to raise student achievement is paying off. Children held to high academic standards can perform—they just need to be given the chance. That's why President Bush addressed the soft bigotry of low expectations by insisting that all students be held to the same high standards. In the 21st century, all children—urban and suburban—must be equipped with the best education possible so that they have the necessary skills to succeed. All children can indeed learn, and this study proves it."

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