Commission on No Child Left Behind

Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Governor Roy E. Barnes Announce Commission on No Child Left Behind

Bi-partisan Commission to Offer Recommendations to
Congress and Administration for Reauthorization

Washington DC- Today former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and former Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes unveiled the bi-partisan independent Commission on No Child Left Behind. Congress is scheduled to begin reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2007 and over the next 12 to 18 months the Commission will conduct a high level, independent and bipartisan analysis of NCLB. "In 2001, President Bush and Republicans and Democrats in Congress came together to develop the No Child Left Behind Act. It is time for us to join together once again to ensure that our Nation continues to close the achievement gap," said Secretary Thompson.

"The Commission wants to hear from America on how the No Child Left Behind Act affects their lives," said Governor Barnes. "Only with this input can we effectively strengthen the law."

The Commission will use several means to gather information and public input for its recommendations. This includes hosting five national hearings focusing on teachers, assessments, accountability, and sanctions and incentives. Another key element in the Commission's efforts will be its website: www.nclbcommission.org. This website provides the general public, educators, policymakers and researchers with background information on the No Child Left Behind Act; updates on Commission activities such as future hearings and reports; and State by State academic achievement data. A special feature of this website is its interactivity which allows users to submit their concerns, ideas and thoughts about NCLB directly to the Commission. Lastly, the Commission staff will issue a series of white papers that highlight key NCLB policy issues. These papers will be available on the Commission website.

Housed at the Aspen Institute, the Commission is funded by some of the top education foundations in the Nation, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Spencer Foundation.

The Commission on No Child Left Behind is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Spencer Foundation. This document is published to communicate the results of the Commission’s work. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in the Commission’s documents are entirely those of the author(s) and should not be attributed in any manner to the donors.