Chairman Miller Statement on 2007 NAEP Results in Reading and Mathematics

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the release of the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress test score results in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and mathematics.

“Overall, the NAEP results show that we are moving in the right direction, and I am encouraged by them. The scores also show that we still have much work to do to close academic achievement gaps and help every child to learn.

“The goal of the No Child Left Behind law is to help every child learn to high standards by holding schools accountable for their students’ academic achievement. I believe that goal is essential to creating a first-rate system of public education in America, but to meet it, we must significantly improve the law. We have to make the law more fair and flexible, and we have to increase and better target federal funding for schools. With an improved law and better funding, I believe that we will see much stronger achievement gains among all students.”

The House Education and Labor Committee is working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. For more information, click here

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-226-0853