Five years ago, Congress and President Bush.... pledged in the No Child Left Behind Act that the federal government would do all in its power to guarantee every child in America, regardless of race, economic background, language or disability, the opportunity to get a world-class education….

Today, all 50 states have standards, assessments and accountability procedures that enable us to track the achievement of every group of students. Every school measures performance, based not on overall student population but on progress in closing achievement gaps and getting all students to meet high standards. Schools across the country are using assessments under the No Child law to identify weaknesses in instruction and areas of need for their students….

The No Child Left Behind Act is up for reauthorization. Some in Congress feel the challenge is too great and want to turn back the clock on reform. One GOP proposal would even let states avoid accountability requirements and still receive federal funds.

Most of us in Congress know that a retreat to mediocrity is wrong…. We know the law has flaws, but we also know that with common-sense changes and adequate resources, we can improve it…. We need to strengthen our academic standards… improve accountability by helping states modernize their curriculums… help states develop better assessments to track student progress…. expand and fortify the teacher work force. … Finally, we can't just label schools inadequate. We must help them improve….

Part of the act's promise was that greater accountability would be accompanied by greater support.… When the law was adopted in 2002, Congress delivered $22 billion to support public education — an increase of 20 percent over the previous year.... The law promised increased funding levels over the life of its provisions, in step with the increase in targets for student performance. Yet year after year, the federal government has failed to provide the resources that states and school districts need to improve struggling schools….

In the weeks ahead, those opposed to doing what it takes to leave no child behind will do everything in their power to impede our progress. Don't let the rhetoric fool you. Local control means nothing without the resources for improvement. Increasing flexibility without preserving accountability is fiscally irresponsible and unwise.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., Washington Post, March 27. (Listen or download audio file.)