1. AMERICAN EDUCATION: IS IT WORKING? By: Kayla Halgren

2. HISTORY: EventDateExplanation Land Ordinance & Northwest Ordinance 1785/1787 Requirement of a system of public education to be established in each township formed under a specified formula. Regulated monies raised via taxes and selling or renting land. Early philosophy – first six presidents Discussion of a national university and urging of federal involvement in public education. Seen as critical to preparation for citizenship in a republican form of government. The original Department (Office) of Education established 1867 Began to collect data – information on schools and teaching that would help states establish effective school systems. GI Bill 1944Provided post secondary education assistance to GIs returning from World War II George-Barden Act 1946 Provided funding for agricultural, industrial and home economics training for high school students National Defense Education Act 1958 In response to Soviet Sputnik. NDEA included support for loans to college students in science, mathematics and foreign languages. Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965 Established comprehensive set of programs including Title I of federal aid to disadvantaged. Title IX 1972Prohibited discrimination in education based on gender. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973Prohibited discrimination based on disability. Department of Education cabinet level agency 1980Recognized the important role of public education in our country. Educational Testing Service (ETS) and NAEP 1983 Federal government transferred responsibility for administering the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to ETS: the nation’s report card. Nation at Risk 1983Report indicating that the USA was falling behind in education achievement. President G.H. Bush 1989-1992 “Indian Education Bill of Rights” K-12 Drug awareness model Advisory committee on Hispanic education America 2000 education reform program Work began on national standards President W. Clinton 1993-1999 Academics 2000 offered grant to states / local school districts for innovation. Teach for America. President G.W. Bush 2001-2008Reauthorization of ESEA –No Child Left Behind. President Barack Obama 2009 - President Obama’s Blueprint for Reform – Reauthorization of ESEA. Race to the Top: Grants awarded to states with innovative ideas that accepted the Common Core Standards. Produced by the LWVUS The Education Study: The Role of the Federal Government in Public Education Retrieved From:http://lwv.org/content/history-federal-government-public-education-where-have-we-been-and-how-did-we-get-here

3. Flaws in the U.S Education system: 1.Our nation’s education assessment is largely based on graduation rate. In 2012, Black students had only a 69% graduation rate and Hispanic students had a 73% rate, while Asian students had a 88% graduation rate and Caucasian students had an 86% rate. Demand high-speed Internet at your school with a badass photo. Sign up for School Standstill!School Standstill 2.30 years ago, America was the leader in quantity and quality of high school diplomas. Today, our nation is ranked 36th in the world. 3.1.3 million high school students don't graduate on time yearly. States with highest rates (80-89%) are Wisconsin, Iowa, Vermont, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. States with lowest (less than 60%) are Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana, Georgia and S. Carolina. 4.97% of low-income students rely on school for Internet access, but 40 million students do not have high-speed Internet in school. 5.If the 1.3 million dropouts from the Class of 2010 had graduated, the nation would have seen $337 billion more in earnings over the course of the students’ lifetimes. 6. A 3rd grade student who reads at the appropriate reading level compared to a 3rd grade student who does not is 4 times more likely to graduate by age 19. Furthermore, a student living in poverty is 13 times less likely to graduate on time. 7.Teacher quality is one of the most significant factors related to student achievement. In the U.S., 14% of new teachers resign by the end of their first year, 33% leave within their first 3 years, and almost 50% leave by their 5th year. 8.In the workplace, 85% of current jobs and 90% of new jobs require some or more college or post-secondary education. 9. Roughly half of the students who enter a 4-year school will receive a bachelor’s degree within 6 years. 10.In schools made up of 75% or more low-income students, there are 3 times the number of out-of-field teachers than in wealthier school districts. 11. High schools are not preparing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel after graduation. Only 1 in 4 high school students graduate college-ready in the 4 core subjects of English, Reading, Math and Science. Retrieved From: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-education-america

4. Flaws in the U.S Education system: Cont. Teachers are underpaid and not given the correct resources. The U.S. has put too much infuses on testing. Teachers are forced to teach to the tests. The NCLB act has no proven results that its working. Material used in the classroom doesn’t change enough to keep up with current times. Although the U.S. has the most funded educational systems, no one knows where that money goes because the U.S is ranked very low on actual results. In scores that go up to 1,000, America received an average score of around 500, with 502 in science (17th out of 34), 500 in reading (14th out of 34) and 487 in math (25th out of 34).

5. Democrats for Education Reform: Support allowing parents to choose the school they send their child to. Support holding leaders responsible They want to Democratic party to be the change for high quality education http://dfer.org/ - This is the website to visit if you would like to http://dfer.org/ donate or learn more about this cause Organizations Advocating For Better Education:

6. Organizations Advocating For Better Education: Stand for children, based in Oregon Stand for Children’s mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for, and with access to, a college education.(Stand.org) Rather than help one child at a time through direct service, Stand for Children builds local and statewide networks of citizen advocates capable of convincing voters and elected officials to invest in the programs and services – like public schools – that help all children thrive.(Stand.org) We will continue to push our state legislators for stable and adequate funding, the creation of a rainy day fund and revenue reform. (Stand.org) http://stand.org/oregon/action -this is the website if you would like more information or on ways to donate or become involved with this wonderful organization. http://stand.org/oregon/action

7. Students First: Their mission is to make sure every student has access to a great school and great teachers. Their work has already had an impact on 23 million students already They are a nonprofit organization. Their impact so far: Our staff engages with communities around the country to raise awareness about the shortcomings of our education system and advocate for evidence- based solutions. We elevate the voices of parents, teachers, and community members to call for positive change and make sure that political leaders are putting the interests of students first. Driven by the power of our members, we have helped pass more than 130 student-centered laws and policies across the nation. Organizations Advocating For Better Education: