KENNEDY ON NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION PROGRESS (NEAP) REPORT

WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement inresponse to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NEAP) released by theDepartment of Education on mapping the standards set by each state for the No Child LeftBehind Act. “I commend the U.S. Department of Education for this important report. The No Child LeftBehind Act assigns responsibility to each state for setting their own standards. But thisanalysis suggests that now, more than ever, we must do more to ensure that state standardsare aligned to the knowledge and skills needed for success in the 21st Century. Regardless ofthe state in which they reside, all students should receive the full support and challengingcurriculum needed to learn to their potential. I look forward to working in No Child Left Behind to help encourage states to adopt a moreconsistent and rigorous definition of what students should know and be able to do, in keysubjects such as reading, math, and science.” ###