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Bush Touts Ed. Law's Successes, Promises High School Reforms

New York

President Bush accepted his party's nomination for president with a promise to improve the nation's high schools by pushing the same kinds of reforms he has supported at various grade levels under the sweeping mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Unlike many of the speeches offered earlier in the week at the Republican National Convention, the president's Sept. 2 speech, which lasted slighted more than one hour, was relatively forward-looking about education and other topics. But as was the case throughout the GOP gathering, school issues received far less attention in the president's address—only about five minutes—than did foreign policy issues and discussion of combating terrorism.

Mr. Bush touted the No Child Left Behind Act, the bipartisan law he signed in 2002, as having successfully raised academic standards in schools nationwide. And he vowed to extend the law's commitment to higher academic standards, making sure more high school students were prepared for higher...