Two main purposes guide America's education policy. The first one is to provide equal access to a quality education for all children. The second is to secure America’s economic future in the competitive global marketplace of the 21st century. In the weeks ahead we will publish information about each policy. As parents understand the basics of these reforms they will see more clearly how their local schools are affected and will be less perplexed by the hype in education policy rhetoric.
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Accountability |
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How and why did accountability in public education policy become so important? -- Are standardized tests the definitive measure of accountability? Read More ... |
3 |
Achievement Gap |
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What is America doing to fix the persistent problem of unequal education in public schools? -- What are the results of our efforts? Read More ... |
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Teacher Effectiveness |
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How much effect do the best teachers have on student achievement? -- Can an effective teacher overcome out-of-school factors that hinder student success? Read More ... |
6 |
Common Standards |
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Why are common standards a top educational policy? -- Aren't states and local communities in charge of setting the standards? Read More ... |
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Charter Schools |
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What exactly are charter schools? -- When and how did they come on the scene? Are they better than regular public schools? Are charter schools "privatizing" public education? Read More ... |
8 |
Time for Learning |
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If academic standards need to be met to pass to the next grade, does that affect the amount of time students might need in school? -- Does summer vacation time contribute to the achievement gap? [more to come] |
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Digital Learning Technologies |
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Are there learning technologies that reliably improve student achievement -- Does technology lower the costs of education, or make it more expensive? [more to come] |
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Early Learning |
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Do early childhood programs improve long-term achievement? -- What are the most successful and cost effective programs the government supports? [more to come] |