20 Questions for the Secretary-Designate | New America Blogs
Popularity Report
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
Rank
Bookmark History
Public Sticky notes
How do you think schools should be measured under a revised No Child Left Behind (NCLB) accountability system? Are you content with the current use of static test scores or do you favor a model that compares individual student growth from year to year? If you favor a "growth model" as it is commonly known, what would you do to ensure that states have the data systems and technical capacity to track and assess individual student achievement? To what extent should federal funds be leveraged to put such systems in place?
Highlighted by cburell
Proponents of national education standards argue that they are needed to: (a) ensure that all American students are given the same opportunity to learn at a high standard no matter where they live; (b) allow for meaningful comparisons of student academic achievement across states; (c) ensure American high school graduates are academically qualified to enter college or the workforce; and, (d) ensure that students are better prepared for the global marketplace to maintain America's competitive edge. From equity, competitiveness, and efficiency standpoints, do you agree that it is the time for national education standards? If so, what role should the federal government play in setting such standards?
Highlighted by cburell
School districts around the country, particularly high-poverty, high-minority districts, are struggling to recruit and retain highly qualified and effective teachers. Some districts are offering loan forgiveness, others offer mortgage assistance, and some provide signing bonuses or differential pay. No Child Left Behind currently provides competitive grants for local and state-operated innovative teacher compensation programs. Do you have plans to build more financial capacity for these types of programs or test their effectiveness through increased research and development?
Highlighted by cburell
Do you believe that as currently designed, the federal student aid programs are appropriately targeted and work both efficiently and effectively in expanding college access, or do you believe that the programs need to be overhauled to ensure that the doors of college remain open for low-income and working-class students? In particular, do you expect the administration to continue supporting both the Direct and Guaranteed Student Loan Programs or instead push for a 100 percent Direct Lending model given research that shows this program is less costly to run?
Highlighted by cburell
Public Comment