We appreciate Secretary Paige’s leadership and the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts to provide states with assistance and guidance in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act.

Today’s regulation strikes a fair balance that allows for the inclusion of the most cognitively disabled students in state assessments through the use of alternative tests while affording states and districts some flexibility in measuring these students’ performance in the adequate yearly progress calculations.

NASBE has been in the forefront of advocating the inclusion of students with disabilities in all aspects of public education, for setting high expectations for students, and for promoting rigorous accountability measures in every facet of the education system...

From the NASBE Website. NASBE represents America’s state and territorial boards of education.