June 26, 2007

Recent News from BCSA

The Business Coalition for Student Achievement – representing a diverse coalition of business leaders from every sector of the economy – strongly urges Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act this year. The Coalition believes that improving the performance of the K-12 education system in the United States is necessary to provide a strong foundation for both U.S. competitiveness and for individuals to succeed in our rapidly changing world. 

Recent News from BCSA

• Educational Testing Service Shows Strong Support for NCLB Reauthorization
• Education Reform Leaders Gather to Discuss NCLB
• Top Ten Myths About NCLB
• Recent News Clips about NCLB

Educational Testing Service Shows Strong Support for NCLB Reauthorization

The more Americans learn about the No Child Left Behind Act, the more they like it, according to a major public poll released this week by the Education Testing Service.
ETS’s seventh annual Americans Speak survey, “Standards, Accountability and Flexibility: Americans Speak on No Child Left Behind Reauthorization,” showed that despite a lack of knowledge among the public, there is still strong support for reauthorization of No Child Left Behind.  Once the principles behind NCLB were explained to respondents, support for the law grew substantially. Overall, 76% of the general public supports reauthorization of NCLB. Other key findings from the survey include:

• 70% of the general public values the role the government can play in closing the achievement gap
  
  
• 57% believe that states should not be able to opt out of the law’s provisions if they expect to receive federal funding.



• 59% of the public agrees that America’s future success in the global economy rests upon improving our public education system so that America’s youth can compete with students around the world.

To view the full study, please visit www.ets.org/americansspeak.html

On June 21, 2007, the Business Coalition for Student Achievement hosted a panel of innovative education reform leaders to discuss strategies helping to achieve the goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The discussion included Mike Feinberg, Co-Founder, Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP); Christopher Barbic, Founder and Head, YES Prep Public Schools; Jon Schnur, Founder and CEO, New Leaders for New Schools; Tim Daly, President, The New Teacher Project; and Wendy Kopp, CEO and Founder, Teach For America. For more information on the panel, visit biz4achievement.org.

NCLB is working. Unfortunately, misinformation about NCLB undermines the law’s potential for continued support and success. Our goal is to dispel the most common myths around NCLB so that we can continue to make progress in educating our children.  Here are the Top Ten Myths about NCLB, along with the facts to help set the record straight. To download a copy of the “Top Ten Myths About No Child Left Behind” click here. To order 25 or more copies of the “Top Ten Myths About No Child Left Behind” please email . For more information on NCLB, please visit biz4achievement.org

Recent News Clips about NCLB

Education Daily, Patti Mohr, Stakeholders: Principals need more control

ETS Poll: Public Supports NCLB Reauthorization

Education Week, David Hoff, To Know NCLB Is to Like It, ETS Poll Finds

The Real Clear Politics Blog-“Interview With Education Secretary Margaret Spellings”

Business Coalition for Student Achievement Statement on Forum on Educational Accountability Proposals

New York Times, James Flanigan,“Small Companies That Try to Bring Innovative Technology to Teaching”

Market Wire-“ETS Poll: Californians Support NCLB Reauthorization”

USA Today-“Opposing view: Tutoring shows success”

For more information, visit biz4achievement.org