At Congressional Hearing, Chicago Area Educators Detail Progress Made by Urban, Suburban Schools Under No Child Left Behind

Chicago Field Hearing Part of Ongoing House Education Committee Series

on Landmark 2002 Education Reform Law

CHICAGO, IL – Testifying today before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Education Reform, Chicago area education leaders joined a key U.S. Education Department official in discussing the positive impact the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has had on urban and suburban schools.  Signed into law in 2002, the implementation of NCLB in states and local school districts over the past several years has been a key concern for stakeholders in the U.S. public education system.

“Here – in cities like Chicago, suburbs like Naperville, and scores of communities, both large and small – No Child Left Behind is more than just a piece of legislation; it’s reality,” said Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), a Chicago area Member of the Committee.  “And to get a better sense of how the law is working across the nation – not just from the perspective of the Washington, D.C. establishment – field hearings such as the one we held today are absolutely vital.”

Dr. Henry Johnson, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, applauded the work done by Illinois schools to raise academic achievement among students, particularly those from low-income families.

“Here in Illinois, you recently recognized 683 schools by announcing the Illinois Honor Roll,” said Johnson.  “Most impressive are your ‘Spotlight Schools,’ the 316 schools that met or exceeded No Child Left Behind adequate yearly progress requirements for the past two years even though at least 50 percent of their students are from low-income families.  These schools are proving the core principle of NCLB: that all students, even those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can learn to high standards.  One thing that I really liked about the Illinois Honor Roll is that it recognized the importance of improvement by highlighting 306 additional schools that had demonstrated significant improvement in student achievement over the past one or two years.  As we move closer to 2014, rapid improvement is what No Child Left Behind is all about, and these schools are showing that it can be done.”

Arne Duncan, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), told the panel of progress made by city schools under NCLB.  During the past academic year, four more students per Chicago public classroom met Illinois state standards compared to the previous year.  In reading, 60 percent of students met state standards, compared to 39 percent in 2001.  And in math, 65 percent of students met state standards, compared to 35 percent in 2001.

“CPS and NCLB clearly share the same goals,” Duncan noted.  “Over the past five years, we have worked to integrate our efforts with the requirements of the law.  We want CPS policy and NCLB to re-enforce each other.  This has been hard work for us.  But the effort has been largely successful.  And the success is, in no small part, due to the partnership CPS has had with the U.S. Department of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education.”

Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, Regional Superintendent for DuPage County Schools in suburban Chicago, discussed the positive impact NCLB has had for the county’s students and teachers alike.  In particular, Ruscitti emphasized the increase in communication among DuPage County educators after enactment of NCLB.

“Here is what I believe NCLB has done for DuPage County: it has pushed us to the next level and told us to ‘figure it out; you are the experts - you told us that you are - and we believe you; now go forth and show us what you can do,’” Ruscitti told the Subcommittee.  “To a certain degree, it has empowered and challenged us.  As educators, we are rising to the occasion.  We are figuring it out.  We have been figuring it out for some time; and NCLB simply pushed us into doing it a little quicker, and for all students.  Educators from all disciplines, content, and grade levels are talking to each other about instruction.  Bilingual education and special education educators are talking.  Behavior disorder teachers are getting involved in curriculum.  I would venture to say everyone is talking about teaching and learning, together.”

Biggert reiterated that much of the progress made by urban and suburban schools under NCLB – including Chicago City and DuPage County schools – is a result of the flexibility granted to states and local school districts by the law.

“I think it is important to point out that No Child Left Behind is not a one size fits all mandate,” concluded Biggert.  “It allows states a tremendous amount of flexibility.  Individual states are given the flexibility to determine a variety of factors, including the definition of student proficiency, the starting point for measuring the progress of schools, and the amount of progress that must be made from year to year.  They also have the flexibility to develop their own tests to determine if existing teachers should be deemed highly qualified.”

In May, the Education & the Workforce Committee announced a series of hearings on key aspects of NCLB to lay the foundation for the law’s reauthorization next year.  NCLB represents the first ever bipartisan effort to bring true accountability and flexibility to federal education programs.  It reflects four essential pillars of education reform: accountability, flexibility and local control, funding for what works, and expanded parental options.  Signed into law in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act is a comprehensive overhaul of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was enacted in 1965 and is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education.