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, DC – Congressman for All Alaska Don Young has introduced H.R. 648, the No Child Left Behind Improvements Act of 2007.  This legislation, a follow up to the bill Rep. Young introduced in 2006, will improve on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001.  This bill seeks to improve accountability for the academic performance of children enrolled in the nation’s public schools.  This legislation contains more than forty provisions that focus on five areas: Assessments, Measuring Adequate Yearly Progress, Sanctions, State Flexibility by the U.S. Department of Education and Accountability for Non-Public Schools. 

“As a former teacher, I am committed to providing our nation’s children with the best possible education,” said Congressman Young.  “While I believe in the original goals of the NCLB, I also believe that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to student achievement is not possible.  My bill will establish an improved framework for accountability that fairly and accurately assesses student, school, and district performance.  As a result, states and local school districts will be able to better use their resources to bring about meaningful and measurable results for our country’s children.

“Each state in this country faces geographic, economic, or cultural barriers that hinder its schools from reaching the level of success mandated by the original No Child Left Behind legislation.  My bill builds on the major reforms of the NCLB and offers improvements that address many of the unintended consequences of the federal legislation while still holding states and school districts accountable.”

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