A Blueprint for Reform –

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A Blueprint for Reform is the title of President Barack Obama’s and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s proposal to Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This Act will essentially replace the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) and any subsequent documents used in place of NCLB. In 2009, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in response to the “great recession” of 2008. One of the many objectives of this act was to invest in and reform education focusing on four areas: (1) Improving teachers and principals in every school: (2) Providing information to families and educators to increase student learning (3) Implementing college and career-ready standards; (4) Addressing Americas lowest-performing schools. The blueprint sets out five key priorities to address the four areas set out in the ARRA: (1) College- and Career-Ready Students;(2) Great Teachers and Leaders in Every School;(3) Equity and Opportunity for All Students;(4) Raise the Bar and Reward Excellence;(5) Promote Innovation and Continuous Improvement.
The proposed Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act identifies key factors for college and career-ready students. The act asks that states adopt rigorous college and career ready standards in English/language arts and mathematics along with assessments aligned to these standards. In June of 2010, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards which 45 out of 50 states have currently adopted. Additionally, states are required to develop a system of accountability that rewards successful schools, requires interventions for the lowest-perfor...

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... success by raising the bar in their industry, goal setting, and rewarding excellence. The reauthorization of the ESEA takes a cue from that sector and employs it into education. The blueprints approach for doing so is to strengthen instruction in reading comprehension and in our STEM subjects by improving standards that build toward college- and career-readiness. Expanding access to college coursework and other accelerated learning opportunities for students in high-need schools. Providing incentives for a Race to the Top among states and districts willing to take on ambitious, comprehensive reforms. Developing, validating, and scaling up promising and proven educational strate¬gies to improve student outcomes. Expanding educational options to increase choice within the public school system through high-performing new schools and meaningful public school choice.

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