Sec. 2. Findings
461 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/s/3149/is/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: The fate of our Nation and the opportunities it creates for our children and grandchildren to enjoy successful careers and rewarding lives depends on the quality, equal access, and effectiveness of pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade education in every local school district across the country. Our education systems must prepare students to compete in an interconnected, global economy. Despite the current combinations of Federal, State, and local funding and innovative educational policies, States with historically well regarded kindergarten through grade 12 education systems may find their students falling behind their peers nationally and internationally.
In Maryland, a State with a historically well regarded kindergarten through grade 12 education system, fourth and eighth graders placed in the middle of the pack nationally in reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress. The United States as a whole scored well down the second quartile among students from 72 countries on the Programme for International Student Assessment. Even in States with reading and math scores higher than the national average, there may be significant and persistent racial, ethnic, and income disparity gaps between students of color and low-income students compared to their higher income and White peers.
These same disparities carry into college enrollment, with fewer students of color and low-income students enrolling in college than their higher income and White peers. In order to address these inequities in education, certain States, including Maryland, have researched and proposed bold, transformative Federal, State, and local funding and policy changes to their pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade education systems, with five main policy recommendations under the Maryland Commission on Innovation & Excellence in Education that include the following:
Investing in high-quality early childhood education and care through a significant expansion of full day pre-school, to be free for all low-income three- and four-year-olds, so that all children have the opportunity to begin kindergarten ready to learn. Investing in teachers and school leaders by elevating the standards and status of the teaching profession, including a performance-based career ladder and salaries comparable to other fields with similar education requirements.
Creating a world-class instructional system with an internationally benchmarked curriculum that enables most students to achieve college and career ready status by 10th grade and then pursue pathways that include early college, Advanced Placement courses, or a rigorous technical education leading to industry-recognized credentials and high paying jobs. Providing supports to students that need it the most with broad and sustained support for schools serving high concentrations of poverty, with after school and summer academic programs and student access to needed health and social services.
Ensuring excellence for all through an accountability-oversight board that has the authority to ensure transformative education system recommendations are successfully implemented and produce the desired improvements in student achievement.