WASHINGTON, D.C.—As states and districts begin receiving billions in federal stimulus funding for education, a broad cross-section of organizations dedicated to transforming America’s schools is joining together to support reform. The newly created Coalition for Student Achievement is calling on federal, state, and local leaders to make sure the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides more than just a short-term economic boost, but also achieves long-term, dramatic gains in student achievement.

In a letter sent today to Secretary Duncan, the Coalition, which represents more than 30 diverse education, business, civil rights, and philanthropic organizations and continues to grow, emphasized that “speed and efficiency must not trump reform and improvement.” The Coalition pledged its commitment to working with the Obama administration, states, and school districts to strengthen America’s schools, improve teacher effectiveness, boost standards, and better prepare young people for college and work. The coalition also pledged to closely monitor state and district progress on allocating the funds and implementing the reforms. (A copy of the Coalition’s letter to Secretary Duncan is available at www.coalitionforstudentachievment.org.)

“President Barack Obama and his administration have shown bold leadership in making clear that meaningful economic recovery must include significant improvements in education,” said Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We have come together to work with federal, state, and local leaders to help ensure that the reforms connected to the education stimulus dollars are real. We urge the president and Secretary Duncan to use their authority to ensure states and districts use this opportunity to foster lasting reforms that will fundamentally change our public education system and ensure long-term economic strength.”

Signed by President Obama in February, the Recovery Act includes approximately $100 billion in new federal education spending. Earlier this month, the first round of funding was made available to states. To receive these funds, states must agree to implement evidence-based reforms and states must provide more details around these reforms to receive more funding later this summer. Later this year, states and districts will be eligible for several competitive grant programs—including “Race to the Top” and “Invest in What Works and Innovation.” The Department of Education has issued guidance to state and local officials regarding these funds, and additional guidance is expected.

“The critical need for transforming education in America could not be clearer or more urgent,” said Michael Wotorson, executive director, Campaign for High School Equity. “More than two-fifths of Latino students and nearly half of African American and Native American students do not complete high school on time. For real economic recovery to happen, all of our young people must graduate high school prepared to pursue a college education and successfully enter the workforce.”

For years, the Coalition’s members have worked on proven reform approaches that support student success: high expectations, clear standards, robust data systems, and effective teachers and school leaders. Many of these approaches have great potential to achieve meaningful, long-term reform and are included in the provisions of the Recovery Act, including:

• Creating a robust P-16 data system that tracks individual student performance and fosters continuous improvement;
• Developing college and career-ready standards;
• Designing and implementing high-quality assessments of student learning;
• Improving teacher effectiveness and placing our best teachers in our most challenging schools;
• Intervening effectively in chronically low-performing schools.

“There is no doubt that those who do not complete high school and those who do not complete a degree after high school are hit the hardest by poverty and unemployment,” said Governor Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education. “While other countries have made significant gains on this front, America is losing ground.”

“We encourage other organizations throughout the country that are committed to ensuring an excellent education for all of our young people to join the Coalition for Student Achievement,” said Judith Rizzo, executive director of the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy. “Together, we can work to build the public and political will to support those state and local leaders who want to advance reform. We all need to stay attentive to making sure these education stimulus dollars are spent wisely. ”

The Coalition for Student Achievement includes:

Alliance for Excellent Education
America’s Promise Alliance
American Youth Policy Forum
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Business Roundtable
Campaign for High School Equity
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Center for American Progress
The Center for Reinventing Public Education
Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights
The Commission on No Child Left Behind
ConnCAN
Council of the Great City Schools
Democrats for Education Reform
Education Equality Project
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Hope Street Group
The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy
The Joyce Foundation
League of United Latin American Citizens
Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
National Council of La Raza
National Public Education Support Fund
Partnership for Learning (Washington)
The Policy Innovation Education Network
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (Kentucky)
The Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Texas Institute for Education Reform
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
United States Chamber of Commerce