Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

U. S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Choice

Dec 10, 2002

From: U.S. Department of Education
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 11:00 AM
To: U.S. Department of Education
Subject: U. S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Choice Under
No Child Left Behind


U.S. Department of Education
Office of Public Affairs, News Branch
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUES GUIDANCE ON CHOICE UNDER NO CHILD
LEFT
BEHIND

FOR RELEASE
December 9, 2002
News Media Contacts: Melinda Malico or Daniel Langan
(202) 401-1576
Program Office: (202) 260-0826

The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance on the
choice
provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) -- provisions
that
give options to parents of children who attend schools needing
improvement.
While school districts implement required plans to turn such schools
around,
students attending schools that need improvement must be given the
opportunity to transfer to a better-performing public school in the
school
district.

The guidance provides general information and answers questions
about how to implement the choice provisions, who is eligible to take
advantage of the new options, how, when and what to tell parents about
their
choice options, and what types of schools should be involved.

In addition, issues concerning special education, desegregation
plans, general funding and transportation funding are covered.

Under the act, families of students who attend Title
I-supported
schools that have not made adequate yearly progress in increasing
student
academic achievement over a period of at least two years now have
options to
pursue a quality education for their child. By coupling school
improvement
activities with public school choice, the new law ensures the
implementation
of dual strategies that aim to provide a high-quality education for all
students.

To access the guidance, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/schoolchoiceguid.doc. To access
the
final regulations governing NCLB and Title I, accountability, teacher
quality and parental options, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/11-2002/11262002.html.
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