Andrea Ball, Deputy State Superintendent, Government Affairs Branch
California State Assembly Education Committee - Informational Hearing
October 5, 2007
Mr. Chair and Members, thank you. I am Andrea Ball, Deputy State Superintendent, Government Affairs for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell.
Superintendent O’Connell released recommendations for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or No Child Left Behind, in June 2007 and provided these recommendations to Members of the California Congressional Delegation and held a conference call with Delegation offices in July. In September, the Superintendent provided preliminary comments on the House Committee Discussion Draft.
Three issues have been constant throughout these recommendations:
- First, we share the goals of No Child Left Behind, to close the achievement gap and hold schools and local education agencies accountable for the improvement of student achievement and meeting the educational needs of students in our highest poverty schools;
- Second, any reauthorized Act should provide states the flexibility to use any one of a number of valid improvement or growth models, such as and including California’s Academic Performance Index.
- Third, Reauthorization should ensure that Congress provides an investment commensurate with the expectations of No Child Left Behind. Congress should fully fund the provisions of the Act up to the authorizing levels.
Thank you and now I’d like to present the Department’s Federal Liaison Officer, David DeSchryver, from the firm Brustein and Manasevit, based in Washington DC.
