01/30/13State Positioned to Exit No Child Left Behind Act
Tuscaloosa News (AL) (01/30/13) Avant, Lydia Seabol
At the recent "Doing What Matters for Alabama's Children" conference, State Superintendent Thomas Bice rolled out "Plan 2020," which involves new ways of educating students and supporting educators and school systems. Given that Congress has not reauthorized the No Child Left Behind Act, Bice said the state has a chance to move forward and take a different approach to education. Plan 2020 involves making sure all students perform at or above proficiency, show continuous improvement, and graduate from high school. Bice said school systems can apply for waivers from rules or restrictions that prevent students from thriving. He added the State Department of Education is seeking $12.9 million in state funding per year for 10 years for pre-kindergarten education, citing research that pre-K programs help reduce the number of high school dropouts and provide a 17-to-1 return on investment. Bice said, "I'm so excited about what this could mean for education in Alabama."
