Apsen Institute’s National Education Summit

Secretary Spellings at the Aspen Institute's National Education Summit.

Secretary Spellings at the Aspen Institute's National Education Summit.

Because of No Child Left Behind, we have much more information than we did six years ago to tell us how students and schools are performing.

We also need to know, how are we doing as a nation?

For years, we’ve measured our economy with the Leading Economic Indicators. Today I was proud to announce the Leading Education Indicators at the Aspen Institute’s National Education Summit.

These five indicators show us national trends to answer many of parents’ most pressing questions, including, do our kids know how to read and do math? Are minority students lagging behind their classmates? Are students graduating from high school on time? Are they prepared for college work? And have they earned a degree?

The indicators are national, results-based, and reliable. Together with NCLB, they provide a barometer of success.

See my remarks, a fact sheet on the Leading Education Indicators, and the National Education Summit website.

NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools Announcement in Atlanta

Secretary Spellings visits a class at F.L. Stanton Elementary School in Atlanta.

Secretary Spellings visits F.L. Stanton Elementary School in Atlanta.

Today, I traveled to F.L. Stanton Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia, to announce the 2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools. Under Principal Marlo Barber’s leadership, F.L. Stanton’s students have made the greatest gains in their Congressional district in recent years. Nearly all are from low-income families, and nearly nine out of ten are now reading and doing math at or above grade level.

How did this progress happen? With the help of measurement and data. Teachers gauge student achievement regularly and offer targeted extra help – an approach that’s common to all of this year’s 320 Blue Ribbon Schools. This data-driven approach to helping students improve was pioneered by states like Georgia, and today, it’s the foundation of No Child Left Behind.

After visiting F.L. Stanton, I hosted a roundtable discussion with principals, superintendents, and business and foundation leaders. State Superintendent Kathy Cox and I talked about the fact that while preliminary data show a decline in the number of Georgia schools meeting annual goals, the state also deserves credit for introducing a new math assessment aligned to more rigorous standards. More demanding coursework often results in a temporary decline in test scores, but its long-term benefits include a more educated workforce and greater economic security.

As Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall said, “Everyone knows that the second half of the climb is the toughest. The next phase of our school reform agenda will be more challenging…[and] will require agility, creative use of staff, resources, and the knowledge of how to conquer the rocky terrain of total district reform.” I fully agree, and I’m confident Georgia’s up for the challenge – Blue Ribbon Schools like F.L. Stanton are already leading the way.

See the NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools website, data on Georgia’s education progress and photos from the visit in Atlanta.