Stakeholders in Student Success: Public-Private Partnerships Strengthening K-12 Education

Ensuring that every child grows up with a strong education is a deeply rooted American value. Over time, however, the basic preparation that American students need to succeed in the world has changed. Now, with a competitive global economy and the importance of technology in the fields of health, energy, and engineering, the United States must improve its education system to give all students, regardless of ethnic or economic background, the skills to face these challenges and seize the opportunities available to them. With this objective in mind and with a generous grant from the Petrie Foundation, the Program on Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy (STAGE) has brought together leading thinkers from the worlds of business, government, and the classroom in order to discuss the best possible ways to move the U.S. education system forward. This report is a resource for educational stakeholders, presenting a collection of initiatives and policies that have been making gains in student achievement and can be expanded to improve the U.S. education system, especially if they continue to engage all segments of the population--from the government to the private sector to teachers and parents. The first section describes two multi-panel conferences, which were held at the Wilson Center with a follow-up session on Capitol Hill, to outline some of the most innovative and measurably-successful educational programs across the country. The first conference, held on February 27, 2008, focused on programs that have created new approaches to in-class instruction and after-school activities, with the goal of inspiring students and bringing their knowledge into the 21st century. The second conference took place on May 6, 2008, with a complementary Hill discussion the next day, to examine initiatives aimed at teacher support, including excellent undergraduate degree programs and professional development opportunities. The next section of the report summarizes the key findings of additional conferences and seminars, which were held to address national education issues and possible areas of reform. The first of these was in November of 2007, sponsored by the STAGE Program and the Wilson Center's Asia Program, to compare mathematics and science education in the U.S. with that of Japan, China, and Korea. Then, in April of 2008, three members of the U.S. Department of Education's National Mathematics Advisory Panel came to the Center to present their report on the current status of and need for reform in K-12 mathematics education, especially in the approach to pre-algebra and algebra subjects. Finally, in June 2008, the STAGE Program partnered with the National Center on Women in Information Technology, the Computing Research Association, and the Association of Computing Machinery to examine the role that a stronger K-12 computer science focus could play in preparing students for the future economy. These seminars had the combined effect of presenting possible system changes in education, including the implementation of national benchmarks, more in-depth textbooks, more effective teacher certification, and a greater commitment to the research of how various policies and administrative decisions affect student outcomes. They also questioned the traditional teaching of core K-12 subjects and pushed for more applicable and substantive classes that are cross-disciplinary in nature and more connected to the real world. This report also includes a section on the experiences and perceptions of dedicated leaders in education, who give significant insights into how this country might improve its schools. Finally, the report details the STAGE Program's future plans to continue to act as a forum for an ongoing dialogue on national education. (Contains 22 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Petrie Foundation.]