FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 18, 2007

Isakson Praises Student Improvements in History, Civics
Credits No Child Left Behind for Advancements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today praised the news that elementary students in the U.S. have made significant improvements in U.S. civics and history and credited the No Child Left Behind Act with helping to make those gains possible.                                     

Two reports issued this week by The Nation’s Report Card offer new data on the achievement of America’s fourth, eighth and 12th-graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in U.S. history and civics. The reports are published by the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education.

“These results indicate that No Child Left Behind has demonstrated improvements in the children it set out to help the most. Our lowest-performing students are making the greatest gains, and their ability to do well in all subject areas increases as their skills in reading and math improve,” Isakson said. “I believe our commitment to the principles in No Child Left Behind will continue to improve educational achievement around the country in all subject areas .”

The reports found the percentage of fourth-grade students performing at or above basic level has increased from 64 to 70 percent since 1994 in U.S. history and from 69 to 73 percent since 1998 in civics. The number of 12th-graders at or above basic in U.S. history also increased from 43 percent in 2001 to 47 percent in 2006.

When Isakson served in the U.S. House, he was one of a handful of lawmakers invited by President Bush in 2000 to help write the No Child Left Behind Act, the landmark legislation that is providing schools with the necessary resources to give all children a quality education. Isakson is now a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which has jurisdiction over education issues including the No Child Left Behind reauthorization.

“As one of the authors of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law, I have a vested interest in this legislation and its impact on our nation’s education system,” Isakson said.  “Overall, our school systems are improving and our students are receiving more of the educational tools they need to compete in the 21st Century. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we re-authorize and improve this valuable legislation.”                       

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