College Readiness and the Impending Reauthorization of ESEA

One of the things stuck in the molasses of the current Congress is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (most recently authorized under the title of "No Child Left Behind").  This February 2010 policy paper called "REINVENTING THE FEDERAL ROLEIN EDUCATION: Supporting the Goal of College and Career Readiness for All Students", published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, argues their view on what the reauthorized ESEA should include; their view focuses heavily on college & career readiness.

An excerpt:

"It is time to harness this progress and momentum, and convert commitment and proposals into are authorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) designed to address the high school crisis and move toward the goal of all students graduating from high school ready for college and careers.

Federal policy must be updated,not only to maintain pace with the common standards initiative, but also to serve as,a leader and partner in helping bring efforts to fruition. The nation cannot afford to let another generation of students pass through the system, drop out, or exit unprepared for college and careers.

ESEA reauthorization should:

• Establish college and career readiness as the common goal for all students;

• Ensure meaningful accountability for high school outcomes designed around common indicators of college and career readiness and high school graduation;

• Replace the current flawed, one-size-fits-all school improvement process with requirements for state- and district-led systems that are differentiated and data driven, and prioritize addressing the lowest-performing high schools;

• Support strategies necessary to implement, high school improvement at a much larger scale, including district-wide efforts, maximizing the role of entities outside the school system with expertise to contribute;

• Build the capacity of the system to implement innovative solutions—bold approaches to teaching and learning, school organization, and system structure; and

• Provide new funding for the implementation of innovative solutions to address low-performing high schools."