Chairman Miller Statement on Expansion of Growth Model Pilot Program under No Child Left Behind

Friday, December 7, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Education announced plans to expand a pilot program that allows states and schools to measure students’ academic progress over time through the use of “growth models.”  Nine states have already been approved to participate in the Department’s pilot program. This expansion would allow an unlimited number of states to implement growth models.

“Schools should receive the credit they deserve for the yearly achievement gains made by their students. As part of our efforts to improve No Child Left Behind, we have proposed allowing all states to develop and use growth models – a proposal that we believe is essential to providing states and schools with much-needed flexibility and fairness.  I welcome Secretary Spellings’ announcement as confirmation of our proposal.

“In fact, the Secretary’s willingness to embrace growth models makes it all the more mind-boggling that the Bush administration has been unwilling to consider other proposals that would significantly improve the law, while still retaining its focus on accountability. It is no secret that No Child Left Behind is not fair, is not flexible, and is not funded – and it’s long past time that the administration recognized this reality and stopped standing in the way of common-sense improvements to the law and vital increases in education funding.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
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