Long-Awaited ESEA Rules Are Released

By Lynn Olson

Washington

New ESEA The Department of Education released proposed regulations last week fleshing out critical sections of Title I, from accountability to teacher qualifications, under the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001.

While the draft rules generally adhere closely to the language in the law, federal officials tried to reassure states and districts, both in that document and in a July 24 letter, that they still have "significant flexibility" in meeting the measure's accountability provisions. State leaders have been asking for some wiggle room so they do not have to totally revamp existing accountability systems or identify large numbers of schools as failing to progress under the law.

"The purpose of the statute, for both assessments and accountability, is to build on high-quality accountability systems that states already have in place, not to require every state to start from scratch," Secretary of Education Rod Paige wrote in the letter last month to state...