EDUCATION BILL SIGNING "GOOD STEP" FOR AMERICA

8 Jan 2002

Superintendent Says Similar Reforms Already In Place In DISD

DALLAS—Former Texas Education Commissioner under Gov. George W. Bush and now Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Mike Moses on Tuesday applauded the legislation signed into law by the president and said the reforms will have a positive impact on education.

"We began working on much of what is in the Education Bill while the president was the governor and the details of the new law will take the good things we have been doing to improve education in Texas to the national level," Moses said Tuesday morning after the president signed the bill at a ceremony in Hamilton, Ohio.

The superintendent, who served as the Texas Education Commissioner from 1995-1999 during both terms of then-Gov. Bush, said some of the same principles in the legislation are at work in the DISD.

"Like the mantra of the 2000 election cycle, we in the Dallas Independent School District are dedicated to ensuring that 'no child is left behind ' when it comes to getting a world-class education," Moses said. "We have almost 164,000 students here in the DISD and almost 10,000 teachers who are dedicated and focused on making sure our schoolchildren get the best education possible."

Since early 2001, under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the district has had a renewed focus on better achievement of students in reading and math. In fact, in 2001, DISD students scored their highest ever on standardized math and reading tests. As a result of the DISD's commitment to increased academic achievement, the district went from 28 low performing schools on the state's accountability ratings system down to just 10 out of 218 schools.

The superintendent said the Board of Trustees has made greater achievement on future Texas Assessment of Academic Skills tests one of its highest priorities along with student safety and continued wise use of tax dollars to fund schools.

"The Board of Trustees remain focused on the children and on providing the best environment possible," Moses said. "We all know that when students in DISD do well, Dallas does even better. We have made considerable progress in DISD based on the prior work of the president while he was governor of Texas. We have done well, but we know we can and we must do even better in the future."

The president has said the reforms "express my deep belief in our public schools and their mission to build the mind and character of every child, from every background, in every part of America."

The Act was passed with an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress. This legislation promotes educational excellence for America's:

46.8 million public school children

3 million public school teachers

More than 89,599 public schools

Nearly 17,000 local school districts

The Act ushers in sweeping reforms based upon the president's priorities for America's schools:

Stronger Accountability for Results

Provides the most sweeping reform of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act since it was enacted in 1965 by turning federal spending on schools into a federal investment in improved student performance.

Redefines the federal role in K-12 education by requiring all states to set high standards of achievement and create a system of accountability to measure results.

Insists that states set high standards for achievement in reading and math - the building blocks of all learning - and test every child in grades three through eight to ensure that students are making progress.

Greater Flexibility and Local Control

Offers school districts powerful tools to provide the best possible education to all children - especially those most in need by cutting federal red tape, reducing the number of federal education programs, and creating larger more flexible programs that place decision-making at the local level where it belongs.

Trusts local parents, educators and school boards to make the best decisions for their children.

Frees local school districts to spend up to half their federal education dollars however they see fit.

Expanded Options and Choice for Parents

Empowers parents by providing unprecedented federal support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are trapped in low-performing schools.

Students in failing schools may transfer to higher-performing public schools or get help such as tutoring.

Students in persistently dangerous schools may transfer to safer public schools.

Informs parents by requiring states to provide annual report cards of school performance and statewide progress.

Requirement arms parents with information about the quality of their children's schools, the qualifications of teachers, and their children's progress in key subjects.

Emphasis on Teaching Methods that Work

Supports reading instruction based upon research-based methods that work to ensure that every child in public schools reads at or above grade level by third grade.

Strengthens teacher quality for public schools in by investing in training and retention of high-quality teachers.

Provides Resources to Support the Reforms

Increases federal education funding under the ESEA to more than $22.1 billion for America's elementary and secondary schools - a 27 percent increase over last year, and a 49 percent increase over 2000 levels.

Increases federal funding to an estimated $10.4 billion for the Title I program to help disadvantaged students succeed - an 18 percent increase over last year, and a 30 percent increase over 2000 levels.

Provides nearly $3 billion in federal funding to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and principals.

Boosts funding for reading programs to nearly $1 billion so every child in America learns to read.

Provides an estimated $200 million for charter schools to expand parental choice and free children trapped in persistently failing schools.