Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

President Barack Obama prodded states Monday
to raise their school standards by using his best leverage: money.

      Obama told governors he wants a change in law that would allow
states to receive federal aid for poor students only if they adopt
academic standards that are deemed to truly prepare children for
college or careers out of high school.

      The move would require a change in the nation's main elementary
and secondary education law, which became known as the No Child
Left Behind Act during the presidency of George W. Bush.

      Traditionally, the federal government is a marginal player in
the financing and control of education, but its role has expanded
as educators and lawmakers at all levels worry about slipping U.S.
competitiveness.

      Many schools count on a key source of federal aid, known as
Title I, to help out their poorest students. That's the money that
Obama wants to make contingent upon the setting of more rigorous
standards across the nation. It would remain up to states, not
Washington, to choose their specific standards.

      Many states are already working on a united effort to coordinate
and improve their standards.

      Yet Obama took a swipe at how some states responded to this
challenge under No Child Left Behind, saying 11 states lowered
their standards in math between 2005 and 2007.

      "That may make those states look better relative to other
states," Obama said, "but it's not going to help our students
keep up with their global competitors."

      Obama spoke to governors of both parties during their yearly
gathering with the president at the White House.

      The White House said the governors have been working on the
president's Race to the Top program, which rewards school systems
that raise standards and demonstrate commitment through tougher
student assessments.

      At the same time, the White House said that too many states are
churning out graduates who are unprepared either for college or
career.

      In addition to supporting ongoing state efforts, the White House
said the president will commit an additional $350 million to the
Race to the Top challenge to back "state-led partnerships to
develop new, state-of-the art assessments aligned to college and
career-ready standards."


      According to the White House, the president's 2011 budget will
call for the reauthorization of the 1994 version of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act, which would require states to meet six
tough standards to help high school graduates prepare for college
or jobs. The White House said schools need to focus on better
teacher preparation, improved teaching and tougher student
assessments.

      The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was first passed in
1965 and has been routinely reauthorized every five years. Under
the measure, federal money is sent to the states to pay for teacher
development, instructional materials, educational resources and
promotion of parental involvement.


      - Require the states to "adopt and certify that they have
college- and career-ready standards in reading and mathematics" to
be eligible for the federal money.


      - Establish a $405 million outlay to help states "align teacher
preparation practices and programs to teaching of college- and
career-ready standards."


      - Provide grants totaling $400 million to states that adopt
tougher student assessment programs.


      - Dedicate $1.35 billion to the Race to the Top program in
addition to stimulus money for the program.


      - Allot $2.5 billion in the 2011 budget to a state grant program
to support better teaching and leadership in the schools.
      

Gallery

Education News

President Barack Obama prodded states Monday
to raise their school standards by using his best leverage: money.


Obama prods states to raise academic standards

Go Deeper.

Like this?