Recently there have been proposals in Congress that would suspend the NCLB requirements that identify schools which are labeled "in need of improvement." This raises many serious concerns and deserves a thorough debate in its development.

Such a proposal would result in removing from students, teachers, schools, and parents additional resources and assistance devoted to ensuring improved academic achievement for those students and schools most in need. These resources that would be removed include additional school improvement funds for local schools and extra technical assistance for teachers in their efforts to boost student achievement. 

The Business Coalition for Student Achievement (BCSA), co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, believes that improving the performance of the K-12 education system in the United States is essential for ensuring the American education system prepares our youth to succeed and our nation to be competitive in our rapidly changing world. BCSA supports exploring these improvements through a process that allows for a thorough and deliberate examination of how best to support our students, teachers, and schools in their improvement efforts. The traditional process allowing for guidance from the authorizing committees, who have developed policy expertise, will allow for careful examination of the various school improvement and reform proposals, and should be followed.

BCSA stands firm in its support for the key principles of NCLB. This law has been instrumental in focusing our nation, through information reported to parents and the public, on improving the academic achievement of all students and closing the achievement gap.  The business community understands the importance of a high quality education for all students, and BSCA will continue to call for strong accountability for improved achievement.