IMPROVING EDUCATIONFOR ALL STUDENTS

“Every child deserves an education that will prepare her for the future. … Yes, knowledge matters, but not in a vacuum. It

has to be connected with inquiry and problem solving. … Fluency with critical thinking, readiness for life-long learning—

that's what will matter. That’s what my wife and I want for our children.” — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

“[Young people] will continue to need basic knowledge … But they

will need skills and motivation even more. …

Young people who are intrinsically motivated— curious, persistent,

and willing to take risks—will learn new knowledge and skills

continuously. They will be able to find new opportunities or create

their own—a disposition that will be increasingly important as many

traditional careers careers disappear.”

— Tony Wagner, Harvard University

THE GOOD NEWS:AMERICA’S PROGRESS

IN IMPROVING EDUCATION

WHAT WE KNOW & WHERE WE NEED TO GO

All students need and deserve the opportunity to learn and to be successful.

We are facing a seminal moment in public education: for the first time in our nation’s history, America's public schools enroll a majority-minority student body. Our collective future depends on meeting the needs of all students—particularly those historically underserved and most vulnerable—better.

The U.S. Department of Education is working with states, systems, and leaders to raise standards across the Pre-K–12 spectrum; increase access to high-quality preschool; improve teaching; establish strong systems for technology and data; turn around persistently underachieving K-12 schools; and increase college access, affordability, quality, and completion.

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NEARLY 30 STATES INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN & IMPROVE STATE POLICIES ON EARLY LEARNING

PROGRESS: POLICY

PROGRESS: GREAT GAINS

Students’ test scores are one way to measure progress—and they’re going up—especially on the highly reliable National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). – In 2013, our nation’s elementary and middle school

students earned the highest math and reading scores in history.

– Some of the greatest gains have been in states that volunteered for the Race to the Top grant program and stayed most committed to change efforts, especially Tennessee and Washington, D.C.

RESULTS DRIVEN BY REFORM

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PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTS

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THE HIGHEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE IN U.S. HISTORY

PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTSDROPOUT RATES DECREASING

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PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTSHIGHEST 4TH AND 8TH GRADE SCORES EVER ON NATION’S REPORT CARD

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National Assessment of Educational Progress – Math, 1990-2013

PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTSMORE HISPANIC AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS GRADUATING

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High school graduation rates: School years 2002-2003 through 2011-2012

PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTS

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MORE STUDENTS ATTENDING COLLEGE ON PELL GRANTS

million

6 million

8.9 million

PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTSCOLLEGE ENROLLMENT

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The amount of additional black

and Hispanic students in

college now than in 2008

1.1 million

PROGRESS: RESULTS FOR STUDENTSMORE HISPANIC AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS ATTENDING COLLEGE

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Enrollment Rates of 18 to 24-year-olds

THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

THE CHALLENGE:TOO FEW LOW-INCOME STUDENTS COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL

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63%

96%

THE CHALLENGE:ONLY 29 PERCENT OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS GO TO COLLEGE

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29%

80%

THE CHALLENGE:ONLY 14 PERCENT OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS COMPLETE COLLEGE

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60.7%

14.5%

THE CHALLENGE:

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THE LINK BETWEEN PARENTS’ EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT & THEIR CHILDREN’S EARLY VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

THE CHALLENGE:

Suspension rates for preschool children are uneven and unacceptable across the country.

Black students represent 18 percent of preschool enrollment but 42 percent of students suspended once, and 48 percent of students suspended more than once.

DISPARITIES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

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THE CHALLENGE:

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DISPARITIES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

Percent of students receiving out-of-school suspensions by gender and race, 2009-2010

10%

THE CHALLENGE:

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DISPARITIES IN ADVANCED COURSEWORK

THE CHALLENGE:

Nationwide, between 10-25 percent of high schools do not offer more than one of the core courses in the typical sequence of high school math and science learning—such as Algebra I and II, geometry, biology, and chemistry.

Nationwide, only 50 percent of high schools offer calculus, and only 63 percent offer physics.

ACCESS TO CHALLENGING COURSEWORK

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THE CHALLENGE:

A recent study of the computer science Advanced Placement test found that in 11 states no African-American students took the exam; in eight states, no Hispanic students did.

ACCESS TO CHALLENGING COURSEWORK

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THE CHALLENGE:

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DISPARITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

OUR STANDING IS SLIPPINGRESULTS ON INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC TESTS

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2012 Average PISA Scores - Mathematics

OUR STANDING IS SLIPPINGRESULTS ON INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF ADULT SKILLS

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Average PIAAC Literacy ScoresU.S. score is lower than international average

OUR STANDING IS SLIPPING

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PERCENT OF NON-EMPLOYED YOUNG ADULTS, 25-34 YEARS OLD

“The United States… has lost its once-large lead in producing college graduates, and education remains the most successful jobs strategy in a globalized, technology-heavy economy.”— The New York Times

THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE

American education has a two-part innovation challenge:– Many new interventions produce only incremental

improvement over the status quo leaving outcomes and the lives of teachers, families, and students, practically unchanged.

– Many of the most promising and impactful solutions never achieve scale.

We need new solutions that shatter today’s status quo.

To have impact, solutions must scale to serve millions of students and teachers—or large portions of specific, underserved populations.

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INNOVATION IS MORE THAN A “SHINY NEW OBJECT”

ENSURING AMERICA’S PROMISE:

FEDERAL EFFORTS IN EDUCATION

FEDERAL PRIORITIES:

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Access | Equity | Quality | Outcomes

Research | Operations | Enforcement

School/Community Safety and Climate

Immigration/DREAM Act

Ladders of Opportunity

College & CareerReadiness for All

HHS Partnership

Preschool for All

K12: Implement Reforms1.Career & College Ready Standards and Assessments2.Teaching & Leadership3.Tech & Data4.Turnaround

Postsecondary•Access & Affordability•Quality•Completion

Early childhood

Preschool-12 College Career

EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS IN PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SECOND TERM

REFORMS AT WORK:

ESEA flexibility moves away from top-down accountability toward data-driven decisions and expertise at the state and local levels.

Early learning: The Obama administration has invested $1 billion in early education, which we know has tremendous impact, through Preschool Development Grants and the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge. – Supporting 20 states’ work aligning early

childhood investments to improve the quality of services and children’s school readiness.

FLEXIBILITY AND EARLY EDUCATION

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REFORMS AT WORK:

Investing in Innovation (i3) and Race to the Top (RTT): Investments are helping the U.S. Department of Education, administrators, and educators to learn about innovative and effective strategies that improve achievement and close gaps. – Grantees in Tennessee’s Achievement School District

and Louisiana’s Recovery School District have reported that federal support was crucial to implementing reforms needed to turn around their lowest-performing schools.

– RTT Rounds 1 & 2: ~$3.9 billion (11 states and DC)– RTT 3: $200 million (7 states)– RTT District Rounds 1 & 2: $492 million (21 grantees)

i3: More than $1 billion

INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT

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REFORMS AT WORK:

College- and career-ready standards: More than 40 states have adopted and are implementing college- and career-ready standards. Standards represent the goals for what students should know and be able to do. Standards are different from curriculum, which means what teachers teach, and how.

Federal policies encourage states to adopt high standards, but do not touch on curriculum, which is a state and local matter.

States choosing to move toward higher standards will create long-term improvements in our nation’s education system.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

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REFORMS AT WORK:

Higher education: The Obama administration is expanding post-secondary access and affordability. – Shifted more than $60 billion in savings to students,

including $40 billion into Pell Grants, to make college more affordable for low-income students

– Fifty percent more students are attending college on Pell Grants (to nearly 9 million)

– Introduced tools to increase transparency and support student/family choice

– Pay as You Earn enables eligible students to cap student loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income

– First in the World Fund will provide $75 million to spur and evaluate strategies to improve educational outcomes and make college more affordable

COLLEGE ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY

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EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY:

One of the most important elements of strengthening our nation’s economy is education.

Basically every economic improvement we will make depends on having a well-educated workforce.

Here’s where America stands now:– Six years after the Great Recession, due to the

policies the Obama administration has pursued and the hard work of the American people, our country’s economy has come back further and faster than almost any other nation.

– U.S. businesses added 10 million jobs over 55 straight months of job growth – the longest streak on record.

AN INEXTRICABLE LINK

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EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY:PROGRESS SINCE THE GREAT RECESSION

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10%

6%

THE WORK AHEAD:

We can’t stop or slow down until all students, everywhere, have the opportunity to be successful.

These big changes are hard; but our parents, teachers, and students are all deeply committed to working harder and doing even better. 

WHERE DO OUR PROGRESS AND OUR CHALLENGES LEAD US?

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CRADLE TO COLLEGE AND CAREER

Please see the additional slide deck “booklets” in this 13-part presentation for more information about needs and efforts in these areas:Quality Early LearningK-12 EducationTeachers & LeadersSTEM Education Turnaround SchoolsSafe SchoolsStandards & AssessmentsTechnology & DataCollege Affordability & CompletionLadders of Opportunity

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IMPROVING EDUCATION ACROSS THE SPECTRUM