For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 18, 2006

Fact Sheet: A Day in North Carolina: President Bush Highlights the Success of No Child Left Behind

      President Bush Discusses No Child Left Behind Act in North Carolina
      In Focus: Education

Today, President Bush Will Visit The Greensboro Area And Highlight How The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Has Helped Improve Schools In North Carolina And Across The Country. President Bush will participate in a lunch with community leaders in Greensboro before visiting and delivering remarks at Waldo C. Falkener Elementary School. Later, the President will visit Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina, and will participate in an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

• After Arriving In Greensboro, The President Will Participate In A Lunch With Greensboro Area Community Leaders, Including:
  • Senator Richard Burr (R, NC)
  • Bob Brown, Chairman and CEO, B&C Associates
  • Tonya Cockman, President, Clear Defense, LLC
  • Mayor Keith Holliday, City of Greensboro
  • Dr. Nido Qubein, President, High Point University
  • Emery Rann III, Executive Director, Mediation Services of Forsyth County
  • Jeff Young, President and CEO, HDM Furniture Industries

• This Afternoon, The President Will Visit Falkener Elementary School To Deliver Remarks On NCLB. The first year Falkener Elementary School was tested under NCLB, scores were low and the school fell short of the standards for progress, but Falkener has now met standards under NCLB for three years in a row. Falkener Elementary School took a number of steps to help improve its results, including:
  • Using Federal funding to pay for new laboratories, teacher collaboration, and research on professional development;
  • Placing a new focus on results, and beginning to test frequently; and
  • Launching a "Saturday Academy" for students whose test scores show they need extra help.

• Later This Afternoon, The President Will Visit Victory Junction Gang Camp. The Victory Junction Gang Camp enriches the lives of children ages 7-15 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. Founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, in honor of their son, the camp has an auto racing theme and is free to children and their families. The camp is a member of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, founded by Actor Paul Newman.

The No Child Left Behind Act's Results Are Seen Across North Carolina

North Carolina Was One Of The First States In The Nation To Establish An Accountability System And One Of The First To Have Its Testing Plan Approved Under NCLB. North Carolina's test scores are encouraging:

• The percentage of fourth graders with basic math skills rose 10 points between 2000 and 2005;
• The percentage of eighth graders with basic math skills rose about six points between 2000 and 2005; and
• For African-American fourth and eighth graders, North Carolina achieved some of the highest math scores in the Nation.

We Should Strengthen The No Child Left Behind Act - Not Soften It

The No Child Left Behind Act Has Brought Good Progress, Yet We Still Have A Lot Of Work To Do. Soon there will be a discussion about reauthorizing NCLB. The No Child Left Behind Act is a historic law, it is working, and it is here to stay - yet there are areas where we can improve the law:

• We Must Improve Teacher Quality. The President worked with Congress to create a Teacher Incentive Fund and has proposed a program to encourage math and science professionals to bring their expertise into the classroom as part-time teachers.

• We Must Improve Options For Parents. We will work with school districts, especially in big cities, to help more students take advantage of the free intensive tutoring and transfer options offered under NCLB. The President has also proposed a nationwide Opportunity Scholarships program that would allow thousands of low-income children to transfer to a private or religious school of their choice.

• We Must Improve Our High Schools. The President has proposed a $1.5 billion initiative to fund testing early in high school - and to help teachers fix problems before it is too late. He has also proposed a program to train 70,000 teachers over five years to lead Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes in high school.

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