1: Student Achievement

Improve student achievement, with a focus on bringing all students to grade level in reading and mathematics by 2014.

Other Information:

In education, the bottom line is student learning. NCLB (the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [ESEA]) revolutionized federal support for elementary and secondary education by establishing a national commitment to bring all children up to grade level in reading and mathematics by 2014, and holding schools, districts, and states accountable for making annual progress toward that goal. NCLB is working, and most of the strategies described under Goal 1 are designed to ensure continuation of the gains the nation has made under that historic legislation. This year, the Department has announced an ESEA reauthorization proposal that, within the current framework established by NCLB, will direct more resources and attention to high schools, call on schools and districts to meet high standards in science, ensure more prompt and effective action to turn around schools that consistently fail to educate their students to high standards, and give students enrolled in those schools better choices and options. Because student achievement depends on the efforts of well-prepared teachers, the Department will work with state educational agencies (SEAs) to devise and implement appropriate strategies for ensuring that teachers become highly qualified as quickly as possible. Teaching and learning to the high standards demanded in NCLB require that our nation’s schools be safe and drug free; the Department along with the states will promote practices that create safe, secure, and healthy school climates. Parents are children’s first and most important teachers. The Department will aggressively implement the parental involvement, information, and options components of NCLB and encourage states and communities to provide additional choices to parents.

Stakeholder(s):

• Students

Objective(s):

1.1: Reading/Language Arts

1.2: Mathematics

1.3: Teacher Quality

1.4: Safety, Discipline, and Drugs

1.5: Parents

1.6: High School Completion

1.7: Evidential Basis

Content