An OSBA newsletter for school board members on the No Child Left Behind Act — March 2007

Curriculum issues                                                                               by Rob Delane, director of school board development
Accountability fueling progress
Several decades ago there was little data on student achievement and few academic benchmarks for success. The driving force of accountability was absent. Today, there is more reason for optimism. Teachers know early when students need extra help, and resources are being targeted accordingly. This has translated into results. Nationwide, 9-year-olds made greater reading gains in five years than in the previous 28 years, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the “Nation’s Report Card”). Achievement gaps among Hispanic and African-American students and their peers reached all-time lows. For more information on this, visit: www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/importance/difference/ohio.pdf.

Legislative issues                                                                                     by Fred Pausch, director of legislative services
FY 2007: Joint funding update
President George W. Bush is expected to sign Continuing Resolution-HJ Res. 20 as the measure to fund education and other domestic programs for the rest of the fiscal year that runs through Sept. 30. The U.S. Senate voted 81-15 on Feb.14 on the measure and the House had passed it in early January.