[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 50 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[Pages 1583-1584]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act 
of 2007

December 12, 2007

    Today I signed into law the ``Improving Head Start for School 
Readiness Act of 2007,'' a bill to reauthorize Head Start. Over the past 
40 years, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development 
services to more than 20 million low-income children and their families 
to promote school readiness. Because of the National Reporting System, 
we know that more Head Start programs are helping children gain early 
reading and math skills. But we must take steps to improve Head Start to 
ensure that low-income children arrive at school ready to learn.
    I am pleased that this bill addresses several longstanding 
administration priorities, such as increased competition among Head 
Start providers, improved coordination of early childhood delivery 
systems, and stronger educational performance standards. Increasing 
competition for providers will help ensure that we offer the highest 
quality programs to our Nation's most vulnerable young children. Greater 
collaboration among Head Start agencies, schools, and other programs 
serving young children will help ensure our investments are better 
aligned and more effective. Stronger educational performance standards 
and an emphasis on research-based curricula and classroom practices will 
increase children's preparedness for school. I also support the bill's 
provisions to strengthen fiscal accountability and program oversight, so 
that dollars intended to serve children are spent wisely.
    I am, however, deeply disappointed that the bill ends the National 
Reporting System, our only tool to examine consistently how Head Start 
children are performing in programs across the Nation. We should be 
working to provide more and better data to parents, teachers, and 
policymakers, not less. I am concerned that the bill authorizes spending 
levels higher than those proposed in my budget. Approval of this 
legislation is not an endorsement of these funding levels or a 
commitment to request them. I am also disappointed that the bill fails 
to include my

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proposal to protect faith-based organizations' religious hiring 
autonomy.
    I thank Members of both parties in Congress who worked on this 
legislation. I will continue to work with Congress to ensure that our 
neediest children are prepared for success in school and a lifetime of 
achievement.

Note: H.R. 1429, approved December 12, was assigned Public Law No. 110-
134.