"Real educational results" possible by 2012.

"Real educational results" possible by 2012. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE FUTILITY OF TRYING TO SOLVE EVERY PROBLEMwith K12 education in the United States, the Coalition for StudentAchievement nevertheless concludes in a new report that "the timefor bold action is now." The report, Smart Options: Investing the Recovery Funds for StudentSuccess, doesn't repeat the concerns expressed in the group'sopen letter to Arne Duncan (see main story). Instead it providesrecommendations for governors, state education officials, and districtsuperintendents on how best to take advantage of the opportunity forchange presented by the ARRA. These recommendations are grouped according to five priorities: (1)developing national standards, (2) providing data that educators,policymakers and parents can use, (3) improving teacher evaluations, (4)turning around low-performing schools, and (5) helping strugglingstudents. The report predicts that if officials act on these recommendations,parents, educators, taxpayers and students will "see realeducational results by 2012." It can be downloaded at theCoalition's Web site: www.studentachievement.org. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Broad Foundation and the Gates Foundation are working inpartnership with the Coalition on additional resources to helppolicymakers and education leaders locate research-based, provenprograms and policies--such as those called for under the fivepriorities in the report--to raise student achievement and reduceachievement gaps on a large scale. These resources will also be postedon the Coalition's Web site.