Warning that U.S. students still lag behind their global peers, especially in critical STEM skills, SAS CEO James Goodnight this week urged Congress to reverse the trend by reauthorizing a strengthened Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA):

“In reauthorizing ESEA, Congress has a chance to strengthen our education system, while helping to close America’s STEM skills gap. …

“America’s CEOs urge Congress to ensure American workers do not slip even further behind their global competitors, and strengthen ESEA through its reauthorization.”

Read Goodnight’s full op-ed in The News & Observer here.

Goodnight encouraged lawmakers to follow principles for ESEA reauthorization that Business Roundtable CEOs outlined earlier this year, which include ensuring that:

• Clear expectations are set for what students need to know in each grade;
• Rigorous, realistic, annual goals are established to ensure all students are meeting challenging state academic standards;
• Progress is measured toward meeting state education goals, to include annual testing in math, reading and science in certain grades; and
• Data are made available to parents, teachers and state and local policymakers