| We've seen over and over again that the | | | | education system of the united states still |
| current political atmosphere is one of | | | | needs to address fundamental problems in |
| accountability and transparency: this is just | | | | k-12 education . In an effort to double the |
| as apparent in Education as it is in the | | | | high school graduation rate, Gates is |
| debate over the appropriation of earmarked | | | | offering incentives for students to study |
| funds. As a result of the push towards a | | | | math and science. In a much quoted sound |
| measurable pedagogic system, the Department | | | | bite, Gates stated: "We cannot sustain an |
| of Education increased the qualifying | | | | economy based on innovation unless our |
| questions on its annual survey of colleges. | | | | citizens are educated in math, science, and |
| However, by attempting to gather more | | | | engineering." Gates also noted two |
| comprehensive information on student | | | | interesting things: |
| performance at specific colleges, it seems | | | | |
| that the Department of Education has ruffled | | | | * About 30% of 9th graders do not graduate |
| a few feathers. | | | | high school on time |
| | | | |
| Because the pointed questions brought on such | | | | * Microsoft has been unable to fill about |
| an enormous backlash, Grover Whitehurst, | | | | 3,000 tech related jobs in the USA due to a |
| (director of the Ed. Dept's Institute of | | | | shortage of Workers |
| Education Sciences) said that the Department | | | | |
| will likely edit the survey, and will | | | | The adjective "lackluster" that Gates applied |
| probably remove a question that asks whether | | | | to the countries public schools, sounds a |
| colleges used specific student-learning | | | | great deal like Mike Bloomberg's Wall Street |
| assessments and, if they did, to provide | | | | Journal editorial from December 14th, |
| access to the results. | | | | "Flabby, Inefficient, Outdated". |
| | | | |
| As performance-based education is still the | | | | Increasingly, performance markers are being |
| exception rather than the rule, it is not | | | | sought and implemented in public education; |
| surprising that a request for this type of | | | | these top news stories testify to that. |
| "proprietary" information was received so | | | | |
| critically. | | | | -Sources |
| | | | |
| In a separate story that places just as much, | | | | Associated Press; "Gates Voices Concerns |
| if not more emphasis on performance-based | | | | about U.S. |
| education, Bill Gates told congress that the | | | | |