The 53,000 students who disappeared from the Louisiana public school system following hurricanes Katrina and Rita highlight the need for an information system that monitors the academic progress of students across the country, John F. Pane argues in this Education Week Commentary.
Pane believes implementing a national tracking system would not only help in response to natural disasters, but just as importantly lend information to better understand graduation rates, achievement gaps, and school improvement. Such a system should include and protect the records of all U.S. students and be accessible to educators with a legitimate need.
What do you think? Should there be a national system for sharing student information?