Press Releases 2009

Higher education leaders from across the U.S. commit to boost college access and success for low-income, minority students

WASHINGTON (December 3, 2009)—Data released today from the Access to Success (A2S) Initiative show alarming, but reversible, national trends: Far too few low-income and minority students are enrolling in college, and even fewer make it all the way to commencement.

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New reports challenge states to commit to bold teacher effectiveness reforms in “Race to the Top” applications

WASHINGTON (November 9, 2009) – The Education Trust and The New Teacher Project (TNTP) today released two reports  challenging states to focus on bold reforms to increase teacher effectiveness in their applications for federal “Race to the Top” funding.

Fighting for Quality and Equality, Too, by The Education Trust, and How Bold is “Bold”?, by TNTP, outline strategies for ending ed

Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, on the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund regulations

WASHINGTON (November 9, 2009) – The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund—part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (AARA)—provided an unprecedented $48.6 billion to states.

The Education Trust honors four schools with Dispelling the Myth Awards

Public schools from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and New York are proving that low-income and minority students achieve at high levels when taught at high levels

Statement from The Education Trust on the 2009 NAEP Mathematics results

WASHINGTON (October 14, 2009) – Most student groups and the nation as a whole showed modest gains at the eighth-grade level on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics. Some states improved significantly in both fourth and eighth grades.

Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, on the Common Core Standards initiative

WASHINGTON (September 21, 2009)--The Common Core Standards Initiative has set the right goal: Get to consistent, high standards that prepare all students, regardless of their zip code, for education beyond high school.

“College ready” and “career ready” are synonymous. That means that the kind of rigorous, college-prep curriculum that was traditionally reserved for a select few is now a basic requirement for everyone.

Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, on the new NCES study examining the Black-White achievement gap

WASHINGTON (July 14, 2009) – Today’s report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that the hard work of educators and students has resulted in important progress. Achievement is rising for both African-American and white students and the gaps between them are narrowing. In fourth-grade math, for example, average performance for African-American students on the 2007 main NAEP assessment is higher than the average for white students in 1990.

But despite this improvement, we’re nowhere near where we need to be.

Statement from The Education Trust on the 2008 NAEP long-term trend results

WASHINGTON (April 28, 2009) – According to today’s release of long-term trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), we’ve seen marked improvements in reading and math achievement among younger students, and achievement gaps between white students and students of color have narrowed over the past four decades.

However, 35 years of relative stagnation in reading and math achievement among high school students overall should be cause for great alarm.

Education Watch: Tracking achievement, attainment, and opportunity in America’s public schools

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2009) – Last month, Congress made an unprecedented commitment to America’s public schools, passing the single biggest increase in federal education funding in our nation’s history. As the U.S. Department of Education begins to distribute the one-time funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the onus is on states to live up to that challenge and ensure that this investment boosts overall achievement and closes gaps.

To measure how effectively states are using the infusion of federal support, the public will need accurate, reliable data.

Statement from The Education Trust on the education provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

WASHINGTON (February 5, 2009) – Our nation’s educators and students are making important progress. Achievement is rising and the gaps that separate students of color and low-income students from others are narrower than ever. But much work remains to be done. Students in other countries still outperform American students, and our domestic achievement gaps, though narrowing, are still a disgrace and pose serious threats to our long-term national well-being.

The last thing we need right now is for hard-won progress to be derailed by cuts in state and local support for schools.