After besting the world in college attainment for much of the 20^th century, the United States now ranks sixteenth in the share of adults ages 25 to 34 holding college degrees.¹  In 2009, President Obama announced a goal to regain the world lead by increasing American degree attainment to 60 percent by 2020. This will require progress on several, seemingly incompatible priorities: increasing access to college, helping more students graduate, and improving the quality of the student learning experience, all in a context of scarce public resources.

What is the best way to use data to measure teacher impact on student learning? States and school districts are attempting to navigate these uncharted waters. As of 2012, 20 states and DC require evidence of student learning to play a role in evaluating teacher performance. As a result, better information on student learning is in high demand, and no grade level is immune. Historically, most states have required standardized testing only in grades three through eight.

The New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program released an issue brief detailing the completion of the fiscal year 2013 appropriations process and the start of 2014 budgeting. The brief explores congressional budget actions over the past year and describes their effects on federal education programs.

President Obama sent his fiscal year 2014 budget request to Congress on April 10, 2013. The New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program released this subsequent issue brief, “Key Questions on the Obama Administration’s 2014 Budget Request."