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Coalition for Student Achievement Calls for Bold Action on Stimulus Education Reforms

Advocates Unite to Ensure Federal Funds Achieve Dramatic Improvements
for America's Students

WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As states and districts
begin receiving billions in federal stimulus funding for education, a broad
cross-section of organizations dedicated to transforming America's schools
is joining together to support reform. The newly created Coalition for
Student Achievement is calling on federal, state, and local leaders to make
sure the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides more than just a
short-term economic boost, but also achieves long-term, dramatic gains in
student achievement.

In a letter sent today to Secretary Duncan, the Coalition, which
represents more than 30 diverse education, business, civil rights, and
philanthropic organizations and continues to grow, emphasized that "speed
and efficiency must not trump reform and improvement." The Coalition
pledged its commitment to working with the Obama administration, states,
and school districts to strengthen America's schools, improve teacher
effectiveness, boost standards, and better prepare young people for college
and work. The coalition also pledged to closely monitor state and district
progress on allocating the funds and implementing the reforms. (A copy of
the Coalition's letter to Secretary Duncan is available at
http://www.coalitionforstudentachievement.org/)

"President Barack Obama and his administration have shown bold
leadership in making clear that meaningful economic recovery must include
significant improvements in education," said Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior
vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "We have come together to
work with federal, state, and local leaders to help ensure that the reforms
connected to the education stimulus dollars are real. We urge the president
and Secretary Duncan to use their authority to ensure states and districts
use this opportunity to foster lasting reforms that will fundamentally
change our public education system and ensure long-term economic strength."

Signed by President Obama in February, the Recovery Act includes
approximately $100 billion in new federal education spending. Earlier this
month, the first round of funding was made available to states. To receive
these funds, states must agree to implement evidence-based reforms and
states must provide more details around these reforms to receive more
funding later this summer. Later this year, states and districts will be
eligible for several competitive grant programs -- including "Race to the
Top" and "Invest in What Works and Innovation." The Department of Education
has issued guidance to state and local officials regarding these funds, and
additional guidance is expected.

"The critical need for transforming education in America could not be
clearer or more urgent," said Michael Wotorson, executive director,
Campaign for High School Equity. "More than two-fifths of Latino students
and nearly half of African American and Native American students do not
complete high school on time. For real economic recovery to happen, all of
our young people must graduate high school prepared to pursue a college
education and successfully enter the workforce."

For years, the Coalition's members have worked on proven reform
approaches that support student success: high expectations, clear
standards, robust data systems, and effective teachers and school leaders.
Many of these approaches have great potential to achieve meaningful,
long-term reform and are included in the provisions of the Recovery Act,
including:

-- Creating a robust P-16 data system that tracks individual student
performance and fosters continuous improvement;
-- Developing college and career-ready standards;
-- Designing and implementing high-quality assessments of student learning;
-- Improving teacher effectiveness and placing our best teachers in our
most challenging schools;
-- Intervening effectively in chronically low-performing schools.
"There is no doubt that those who do not complete high school and those
who do not complete a degree after high school are hit the hardest by
poverty and unemployment," said Governor Bob Wise, president of the
Alliance for Excellent Education. "While other countries have made
significant gains on this front, America is losing ground."

"We encourage other organizations throughout the country that are
committed to ensuring an excellent education for all of our young people to
join the Coalition for Student Achievement," said Judith Rizzo, executive
director of the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and
Policy. "Together, we can work to build the public and political will to
support those state and local leaders who want to advance reform. We all
need to stay attentive to making sure these education stimulus dollars are
spent wisely. "

The Coalition for Student Achievement includes:

Alliance for Excellent Education

America's Promise Alliance

American Youth Policy Forum

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey
Chamber of Commerce

Business Roundtable

Campaign for High School Equity

Carnegie Corporation of New York

Center for American Progress

The Center for Reinventing Public Education

Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights

The Commission on No Child Left Behind

ConnCAN

Council of the Great City Schools

Democrats for Education Reform

Education Equality Project

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

Hope Street Group

The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy

The Joyce Foundation

League of United Latin American Citizens

Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

National Council of La Raza

National Public Education Support Fund

Partnership for Learning (Washington)

The Policy Innovation Education Network

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (Kentucky)

The Rodel Foundation of Delaware

Texas Institute for Education Reform

Thomas B. Fordham Institute

United States Chamber of Commerce

For more information about the Coalition for Student Achievement,
please visit http://www.coalitionforstudentachievement.org/

Categories: Education News Signatories