Washington, DC, July 1, 2008 – This morning, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the approval of six states for the Differentiated Accountability Pilot. The Council is pleased with the U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) decision to move the pilot forward in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio. This marks an important step in providing states the opportunities to target scarce resources on schools in greatest need of improvement, develop stronger ties with districts and other partners to build local capacity, and to find more effective ways to ensure all children receive a high quality education.

“The notion of being able to differentiate accountability in schools and districts is one of the most important issues Congress is faced with in reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA),” said CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “I am pleased Secretary Spellings provided leadership in identifying a critical implementation issue and then acted on offering this pilot opportunity to states subsequent to the indefinite postponement of reauthorization.”

The approval of six states leaves room for four more openings in the fall application, something USED is working on now. This will give states at least two additional months to prepare proposals, especially the eleven states that applied and were not selected today. The Council will work closely with both USED and its member states to fill the four remaining openings in an effort to illustrate to Congress how differentiated accountability can and does work in states.

It is also worth pointing out that USED has been receptive to the Council's call for reinventing the peer review process—to one that is fair, transparent, and iterative between peers and applicants—as was the case under this pilot. This ensures greater communications, expectations, and results. The Council is pleased that Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters served as a peer reviewer for this pilot where he could lend his perspective as a champion for differentiation among his peers and on Capitol Hill where he testified on the issue in March 2007. Please click here for the press release and McWalter’s congressional testimony.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks members’ consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.