US Education Secretary Offers Pilot Program

US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced a new pilot program yesterday that would fine-tune the No Child Left Behind Act and allow administrators to better decide the difference between schools that need drastic help and those that need a little nudging. Spellings talked to a group of educators and government officials in St. Paul on Tuesday and the pilot program could lead to more flexibility in dealing with schools not making adequate yearly progress. Spellings said Minnesota is to be congratulated for demanding accountability from schools. The Education Secretary said the key is to student advancement is to custom make remedial efforts to better fit students. Spellings said instruction for a better golf swing or a tennis game is tailored to the student, why shouldn't we do the same for those students who need the most help. Minnesota Education Secretary Alice Seagren said she'd look at the pilot program but may not apply right away because other state's need the program worse than Minnesota.