Domestic Excellence
Advancing Accountability in Education
“Quality education for everyone, of every background, remains one of the most urgent civil rights issues of our time.”
—President George W. Bush
37%
of 4th grade students are proficient in science
41%
of 4th grade students are proficient in math
35%
of students are proficient in reading
High standards, quality assessments tied to those standards, and meaningful consequences for low performance lead to increases in achievement for children of all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic status.
Wide achievement gaps exist in the United States -- low income and minority students in particular lag behind their peers. On a global scale, students in the U.S. consistently rank below children in other countries in the core subjects of reading, math, and science.
Public sentiment and policymakers have retreated on accountability. Annual assessment data on student academic performance informs parents, educators, and the public about how our schools are performing, and helps identify where research-based interventions are necessary.
- State of Our Cities
In Depth: Profiles of Education Performance Around the Nation
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