SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell  announced today that the California Department of Education (CDE) will hold a series of public meetings to gather comment on ways to modify the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) so the federal law reflects the challenges and opportunities of California's education system.

"What is clear after several years of NCLB is that the law has had significant impact on our schools," O'Connell said. "While we can all agree with the goals of NCLB, it is also clear that the law has had unintended consequences for our schools. California must be a leader in using the Congressional reauthorization process to make the law work better for our students."

NCLB, the federal accountability measurement for schools and districts, is due for Congressional reauthorization next year. Among the changes O'Connell and other California education leaders will be seeking is a melding of the federal and state's accountability measurement, the Academic Performance Index, in an effort to reduce the confusion over school performance that the two systems currently generate.

"We will be traveling the state collecting input from all interested parties through these public meetings, written comment, and discussions with subject-matter experts," O'Connell said. "I believe it is vital that California, to the extent possible, speak with one voice as we begin conversations in Washington, D.C. about changes to the law."

The information collected from these series of two-hour meetings will be submitted by the CDE to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education for consideration during the ensuing debate.

O'Connell plans to focus on four areas:  The topic of accountability will be discussed beginning at 10 a.m. today at the Santa Clara County Office of Education Board Room in San Jose, interventions and corrective actions will be discussed beginning at 3:30 p.m. today at the Natomas Unified School District Board Room in Sacramento, teacher quality is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fresno High School in Fresno, and English-learner issues are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Glendale High School in Glendale. 

Written comment may be submitted to the California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 5602, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901 c/o Amy Cameron, Executive Office. All comments must be received by January 2, 2007.