The results of the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were released this morning by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), showing that 15-year-old students in the United States continue to rank at average or below average in international comparisons of reading, math, and science.

Reacting to today’s release of American students’ performance on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia made the following statement.

We share a vision for education in America. Our vision is an education that maximizes every child’s potential for learning, prepares every child with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and careers, and launches every child into the world with the ability to pursue his or her dreams. By unleashing the power of digital learning, America has the ability to realize that vision today. Digital learning can customize and personalize education so all students learn in their own style at their own pace, which maximizes their chances for success in school and beyond. With digital learning, every student—from rural communities to inner cities—can access high quality and rigorous courses in every subject, including foreign languages, math and science. 

Announced this morning, the results of the 2009 twelfth-grade reading and math assessments from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—The Nation’s Report Card—indicate that only 38 percent of the nation’s twelfth graders read at a proficient level, while 26 percent read below the most basic level. In response, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, made the following statement.

Today, U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced the Linked Learning Pathways Affording College and Career Success Act, which would combine rigorous college preparation with workplace experience in an effort to improve student engagement, academic achievement, and success after high school. In response, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, made the following statement.

Without a consistent commitment to delivering comprehensive reading and writing instruction throughout the pre-K–12 grade span, many low-income students and students of color will remain sidelined from full participation in the modern workplace, warns a new policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education. The brief, The Federal Role in Confronting the Crisis in Adolescent Literacy, notes that Congress has dedicated substantial funds to improving reading skills of students in kindergarten through grade three, but this targeted investment has not resulted in the ultimate goal of preparing students to succeed in college and careers.

Tallahassee, Florida and Washington, D.C. August 18, 2010 – Jeb Bush, governor of Florida 1999 – 2007, and Bob Wise, governor of West Virginia 2001 – 2005, today launched the Digital Learning Council to identify policies that will integrate current and future technological innovations into public education. The Digital Learning Council unites a diverse group of more than 50 leaders from education, government, philanthropy, business, technology, and think tanks to develop the roadmap of reform for local, state and federal lawmakers and policymakers.

The traditional training options available to high school teachers need to be redesigned to better align teacher education with current high school reform efforts, according to a new brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education. The Linked Learning Approach: Building the Capacity of Teachers to Prepare Students for College and Careers argues that teacher preparation programs based on the Linked Learning approach offer a promising model for other school districts, states, and regions to create and sustain college- and career-focused learning environments.

This is a critical time for expanding the current discussion on teacher evaluation systems beyond simply focusing on identifying “good” and “bad” teachers for purposes of reward or dismissal, according to a new policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education. The nation must also make sustained investments to build the teacher profession and focus more intently on redesigning schools to support teachers and student learning.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee included $625 million for the School Improvement Grants program in its version of the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill. The committee also directed states to spend at least 40 percent of these funds on improvement activities in middle and high schools, primarily due to concern that the current program is not serving enough of the nation's lowest-performing high schools, including the approximately 2,000 "dropout factories" where 60 percent or fewer of high school freshmen progress to senior year on time. In response, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, made the following statement.