69´«Ă˝

69´«Ă˝ & Literacy A National Roundup

GAO Report Positive on 69´«Ă˝ First, But Confirms Problems

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo — March 26, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The 69´«Ă˝ First program has led to changes and improvements in reading instruction, but the U.S. Department of Education failed to guard against federal officials’ “mandating or directing states’ decisions about reading programs and assessments, which is prohibited by [law],” the Government Accountability Office has found.

The report by the investigative arm of Congress, released March 23, substantiates the findings of a broad review of the reading initiative by the department’s inspector general.

The on 69´«Ă˝ First is available from the .

The report plowed little new ground in describing problems with the oversight of the $1 billion-a-year program authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act. But its tone is decidedly more positive than the scathing reports released by the inspector general over the past five months. It highlights the positive impact 69´«Ă˝ First has had on instruction in underachieving schools.

“The report demonstrates that states were satisfied with the forms of guidance and technical assistance they received,” Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond J. Simon wrote in a response letter to the GAO.

A version of this article appeared in the March 28, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

69´«Ă˝ & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Student Literacy Data?
Answer 7 questions about the importance of student literacy data and how to collect and use it.
69´«Ă˝ & Literacy Q&A What Is Disciplinary Literacy?
Tim Shanahan's research helped crystallize the idea of "discipline specific literacy." How has it evolved?
10 min read
Illustration of directional signs and book.
Dan Page for Education Week
69´«Ă˝ & Literacy What Happens When Every Teacher in a School Has the Tools to Improve 69´«Ă˝?
In a whole-school literacy initiative, students learn metacognitive tools to help with reading and then apply them across content areas.
8 min read
Illustration of words being highlighted.
Dan Page for Education Week
69´«Ă˝ & Literacy Do Leveled Books Have Any Place in the Classroom?
As the "science of reading" movement has spread, predictable texts for beginning readers have come under fire.
6 min read
Illustration of stacked books and ladder.
Getty Images Plus