Business Roundtable

WASHINGTON – Today the Business Coalition for Student Achievement (BCSA), representing business leaders from every sector of the U.S. economy, released its Principles for the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), formerly known as No Child Left Behind.

“Our education system is in crisis,” said Edward B. Rust, Jr., Chairman and CEO of State Farm and Co-Chair of BCSA. “America’s low high school graduation and college completion rates represent systemic failure that leaves our children inadequately prepared in an increasingly competitive world. A focus on improving graduation rates and addressing the achievement gap will be a critical next step in improving academic outcomes for our children.”

John J. Castellani, president of Business Roundtable, presented the principles on behalf of BCSA in testimony today before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The recommendations call for ESEA to:

• Create internationally benchmarked standards and assessments to reflect readiness for college, workplace, and international competition;
• Hold all schools accountable while putting a laser-like focus on ending “dropout factories”;
• Measure and reward teacher and administrator success;
• Foster a “client-centered approach” by districts and schools;
• Leverage data systems to inform instruction, improvement, and interventions;
• Invest in school improvement and encourage technology and other innovations to improve student achievement; and
• Establish a dedicated strategy and funding stream to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

“Now is the time to reauthorize ESEA and build upon the features of more transparency, increased accountability, and expanded choice for children and parents,” said Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“We urge Congress to move ahead with a bipartisan approach to ESEA reauthorization,” said Castellani. “Education reform is an economic security issue, a national security issue, and a vital social and moral issue.”

The testimony and BCSA’s Principles for Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act are at www.biz4achievement.org.