U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today issued the following statement in response to the 36th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll on public attitudes toward schools, which was released today:

"I am heartened that the poll found that the vast majority of the public understands the importance of closing the achievement gap. Closing that gap--also one of the goals of the No Child Left Behind law--is the civil rights issue of our time. If we ever hope to eliminate racism, the best way to accomplish that goal is through higher standards, better teachers, real accountability and, ultimately, the educational opportunity that No Child Left Behind is giving every child in America. All young children today, regardless of their race, spoken accent or where they live, must have access to the best education possible so that they can chart their own course beyond any barriers erected around them.

"The poll shows that most Americans understand that schools may not have caused the gap, but that they can help close it through many of the strategies of No Child Left Behind. Early results from the states of the law's reforms show that the gap is in fact not only starting to close, but also that student achievement is increasing among all groups of students. In other words, the law is working and we have seen a greater impact on student achievement nationally in the few short years under No Child Left Behind than under any previous federal education reform effort. So, it is not surprising that the poll also found that the more people learn about No Child Left Behind, the more favorable they are towards it. After all, the law simply asks that children read and do math at grade level.

"The poll also shows that people believe that many of the goals of No Child Left Behind are achievable and that the law will improve student achievement. Their optimism is being turned into reality in thousands of classrooms across America as the law continues to be put into place by hard-working teachers and administrators, with every child on the receiving end of a better education because of it."

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