The Bee's March 31 editorial "Aim high, California" erroneously suggests I seek to roll back accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.I support NCLB's mission and the goal of all students reaching proficiency by 2014. Well before NCLB, California's accountability system was designed to shed light on the achievement gap and press schools to close it. In California, a school doesn't meet its annual growth target unless all subgroups of children, including minorities and economically disadvantaged students, meet comparable targets.

In California, 403 schools have more than doubled their growth targets for improving student achievement, two years in a row. These schools are clearly on the right track, yet they did not make adequate yearly progress under NCLB. Some failed because a handful of students were not tested, others because one or two students in a single group failed to reach an achievement bar. Under NCLB, these schools will be viewed in the same "failing" category as schools not meeting targets and clearly needing intervention.

We are simply seeking flexibility so districts can focus limited resources on lowest-performing schools and students, and not be required to divert money from successful programs to busing or unproven supplemental services.

- Jack O'Connell
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The editorial unfairly implies that some school superintendents (I was one of the signatories) who urged the state to stay the course with the provisions of NCLB are at odds with state Superintendent Jack O'Connell. O'Connell has been a strong proponent of accountability and high standards for all students. Further, by sponsoring legislation to require that all high school students be required to complete more rigorous coursework that is consistent with the requirements for entrance to college, our state superintendent has taken a major step toward addressing the achievement gap.

California began addressing the achievement gap before NCLB was enacted. By willingly putting public focus on the achievement of minority and economically disadvantaged students, and directing additional resources to our lowest performing schools, our state was ahead of the federal government on this issue. O'Connell and local education leaders are committed to staying the course with the high standards and accountability embodied in California's Public School Accountability Act of 1999, and we are committed to seeing genuine progress on closing the achievement gap.

- Glen W. Thomas,Sacramento
Executive Director California County Superintendents Educational Services Association