Preparing Americas

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Preparing Americas Future Susan
Sclafani U. S. Department of Education

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No Child Left Behind Key Principles

• Increase accountability for student performance
• Focus on what works
• Reduce bureaucracy and increase flexibility
• Choices for students and parents

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Economic Change

• Changing nature of the workforce.
• Fastest growing jobs require some education
  beyond high school.
• Employers express concern about the lack of
  essential skills among students.

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Skill Level Changes
Skilled 20
Unskilled 15
Unskilled 60
Professional 20
Skilled 65
Professional 20
1950
1997
National Summit on 21st Century Skills for 21st
Century Jobs
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Twelfth Grade Students Proficient in Science
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress 2000
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Twelfth Grade Students Proficient in Mathematics
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress 2000
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Losing Our Edge?

• NAEP 2002 Math Assessment
• 12th Graders Scoring Below Basic
• 35 percent of all students
• 56 percent of Hispanic students
• 69 percent of African-American students
• 60 percent of low-income students

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A Question Most Below Basic Students Answered
Incorrectly
Chris wishes to carpet the rectangular room shown
below. To the nearest square yard, how many
square yards of carpet are needed to carpet the
floor of the room if the closet floor will not be
carpeted? (1 square yard 9 square feet)
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Losing Our Edge?

• NAEP 2002 Reading Assessment
• 12th Graders Scoring Below Basic
• 26 percent of all students
• 39 percent of Hispanic students
• 46 percent of African-American students
• 40 percent of low-income students
• 18 percent of students with college-educated
• parents

SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2002
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International Comparisons TIMSS 2003
Mathematics and Science Grade 8

• Mathematics score of 504 exceeded international
  average of 466
• Science score of 527 exceeded international
  average of 473
• Significant improvement in mathematics and
  science between 1995 and 2003
• BUT, we were outperformed by 7 of the 13 other
  countries in mathematics and 5 of the 13 other
  countries in science.

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PISA 2003 Mathematics Literacy
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Losing Our Edge?
Students Enrolled in Postsecondary (in millions)
UNESCO, 2003
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Losing Our Edge?

• New Participants in the World Economy
• China, India and Russia 3 billion people
• 10 highly educated 300 million people
• USA 300 million people
• 25 highly educated 75 million
• Competition for jobs 375 million people
• USA students/adults will face greater competition
  in the future than anytime in history

UNESCO, 2003
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Graduation Rates for the United States
Manhattan Institute Data from Public High School
Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the
U.S. (September 2003)
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High Expectations?
In 2003, 66 percent of entering freshmen at
4-year colleges and universities reported that
they had studied or done homework for less than
six hours per week during their senior year of
high school.
Sax, L.J., et al. The American Freshman National
Norms for Fall 2003
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College remediation ratesEntering freshmen, 2000
Source NCES, Remedial Education at
Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in
Fall 2000,
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Community college freshmen placed in
remediation, by subject, 2000
Source NCES, Remedial Education at
Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in
Fall 2000.
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Millenials

• Studies show that they are a capable,
  conscientious, concerned and optimistic
  generation, determined to succeed
• 96 percent say doing well in school is important
  to their lives.
• 94 percent plan to continue their education after
  high school.
• 90 percent of 5 and 17 use computers.
• 94 percent of teens use the Internet for
  school-related research.
• Teens spend more time online using the Internet
  than watching television.
• High school and college students increasingly are
  involved in making spending decisions for their
  parents.

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Education Beliefs

• 91 of students have a teacher/administrator who
  personally cares about their success.
• 60 of students report that standardized tests
  are a good measure of progress.
• 96 say doing well in school is important in
  their lives.
• 88 of students report that attending college is
  critical or very important to future success.

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Interested in World

• 76 of students would like to learn more about
  the world.
• 28 of high school students use a foreign news
  source to learn about current events.
• After September 11, 2001, 78 of students felt
  optimistic and hopeful. Two years later, 75
  still look toward a future with optimism and
  hope.
• 70 of students report volunteering or
  participating in community service.

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Substantial Purchasing Power

• In 2002, teens (ages 12-19) spent 170 billion.
• 15.6 million college students (ages 18-30) spend
  almost 200 billion annually.
• Two out of three students report influencing
  their parents buying decisions.
• 20 of teens own stock.

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Preparing Americas FutureKey Principles

• High expectations for all
• Innovative learning structures that fully engage
  students
• High-quality teaching and leadership, and
• Accelerated transitions to work or additional
  education.

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Jobs for the 21st Century
Striving Readers Initiative 200 million in
grants to 50 to 100 school districts to implement
effective reading interventions for middle or
high school students. Math and Science
Partnerships 120 million in grants for
interventions to increase achievement in
mathematics for secondary students. Adjunct
Teacher Corps 50 million to recruit mid-career
professionals to teach math and science in middle
and high schools.
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Jobs for the 21st Century
Advanced Placement (AP) 28 million for
professional development for AP teachers in
high-poverty high schools. State Scholars
Initiative 12 million to expand the State
Scholars program to all interested states.
Enhanced Pell Grants 30 million to enhance
Pell Grants to reward low-income students who
participate in the State Scholars Program by
taking a rigorous high school curriculum. Up to
an additional 1,000 per year to students in the
first two years of college.
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• Smaller Learning Communities
• High schools larger than 1000
• .5million-1 million per school over five years
• Focus on academic achievement for all students
• Sustainability grants for first time
• Option for adolescent literacy grants