A report from the National Governors Association offers guidance for states on how to qualify for and make the best use of the federal aid they receive for education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The publication reports on discussions that took place at a conference held in June in Cary, N.C., with 21 governors and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Recommendations coming out of the meeting call for states to show political courage, collaborate, and work simultaneously on all the U.S. Department of Education’s “four pillars” for spending under the stimulus law. Those pillars are: adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments; recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers; turning around low-performing schools; and building longitudinal student-data systems.
