U.S. Department of Education’s Equity and Excellence Commission to Hold Sixth Meeting Monday in D.C.

The U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission will hold its sixth meeting on Monday, Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C. The agenda will include a general update on the progress since the last meeting, discussion of particular language for certain portions of the report and reaching consensus on particular recommendations.

The final report will present the commission's findings related to systems of school funding and resource distribution and the relationship between those systems and student achievement. The report will also recommend ways to improve upon those systems in order to increase student access to educational opportunities.

Established on Feb. 2, 2011, by the U.S. Department of Education, the commission is comprised of 27 members from a range of backgrounds, including education, law, tax, government, business and civil rights. The panel is examining disparities in meaningful educational opportunities that give rise to the achievement gap, with a focus on systems of finance. And, it will recommend ways in which federal policies could address those disparities. In addition, the commission will look at ways to restructure school finance systems to achieve equity in the distribution of educational resources and to further student achievement and attainment.

For more on the Equity and Excellence Commission's initiatives and members visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/eec/index.html.