Sec. of Education expected to unveil 'No Child Left Behind' plans during Cedar Rapids stop

Duncan will join Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, for a roundtable discussion on education at noon Sunday in the band room at Jefferson High School. Harkin and Duncan will host another roundtable at 3 p.m. at Morris Elementary in Des Moines.

Duncan is proposing a $3 billion increase for education programs in the congressional reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Another $1 billion would be committed if the reauthorization is finalized - something that may or may not happen, given congressional opinions on whether No Child Left Behind should be strengthened or revised.

Duncan's proposal focuses on rewarding success and supporting innovation in U.S. schools, according to an advance copy of the proposal shared with The Gazette.

One example of the reward system is the recently announced Race to the Top program. States compete for federal funding by proposing programs that accelerate student achievement or demonstrate effective teaching. Iowa's largest schools chose not to participate in the first round of competition, saying they needed more time to consider its implications.

As outlined in a Power Point presentation, Duncan's proposal would support better student assessments than the exclusive reliance on standardized tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act. It would reward schools with high poverty rates that are making progress in student achievement and in closing the achievement “gap” of minority and poor students.

It would differentiate between student growth and school progress. And it would incorporate school “climate” surveys that include teacher perspectives. It also promises to give educators more time to plan and collaborate.