CONTACT:  Miguel Gonzalez  (202) 822-7823 

November 10, 2006 

NEA President Reg Weaver Encouraged that Additional States Can More Effectively Measure Student Progress with Pilot Program Under NCLB

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday that it would allow three states—Delaware, Arkansas and Florida—to use a pilot program called a “growth model” to more effectively measure student progress over time under the so-called No Child Left Behind Act. NEA President Reg Weaver in July urged Congress to include growth models in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, more commonly known now as NCLB.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Reg Weaver:

“We are encouraged that the U.S. Department of Education is moving away from measuring student progress under the current snapshot approach and toward a more reasoned growth model approach that gives schools credit for progress in student achievement over time. This is a step in the right direction. We believe that accountability systems should reward success and support educators to help students learn and succeed in an increasingly interconnected 21st century economy.

“The implementation phase of NCLB has highlighted a critical void in assessing student progress under the existing adequate yearly progress model. Well-designed growth models more accurately track and measure individual students’ test scores over time, comparing actual and expected rates of growth, as opposed to the current snapshot approach. Such growth models also give credit for improvement at all points of the achievement scale.  That’s why I continue to call on Congress and the Bush administration to include them in the upcoming reauthorization of ESEA.

The U.S. Department of Education selected the three states to add to the growth model pilot program from among five states that resubmitted their applications to join earlier this year. Of the six states the department rejected last year, five reapplied—Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida and Oregon.  Delaware, Arkansas and Florida joined two other states, Tennessee and North Carolina, already approved for the pilot program.

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.