"Our schools must be prepared to measure what English language
learners know and to teach them effectively."
-- Secretary Margaret Spellings
The No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] calls for all
students to read and do math at grade level or better by 2014. To reach
this goal, the education of Limited English Proficient [LEP]
students must be made a top priority.
Some of these children and their families are recent arrivals to
this country. States are working hard to teach these students English
while maintaining steady progress toward their overall academic goals.
States and school districts deserve flexibility as
they factor in the performance of LEP students when calculating their
Adequate Yearly Progress [AYP] totals. At the same time, they need to
be held accountable for ensuring that LEP students
are given the quality education they deserve.
