Expert: Education is Improving
Former presidential adviser says rest of world is passing U.S. students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 30, 2006

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Edwards, Odessa American, www.oaoa.com

Odessa, TX – Former senior presidential adviser Sandy Kress visited Odessa Wednesday, bringing both good news and bad news about the state of education.

Kress, who advised President George W. Bush during the drafting of 2001’s No Child Left Behind Act, said education reforms have led to improvements in Texas.

“We’ve seen a number of increases on scores on tests,” he said. “More students are taking college preparatory courses and high school completion has improved.”

Kress, a member of the Texas Institute for Education Reform, presented those findings during a meeting of several of the Rotary clubs on the Odessa College campus.

“Our kids are about half a grade level above where they were in ’03,” he said. “The math gains are even better.”
Kress said more reforms are needed, however.

That’s because, if education results remain the same, Kress said by 2050, household income is estimated to drop 12 percent while poverty is expected to rise by 40 percent. Part of the problem, he said, is competition from China and India.

“In India and China today, they plan to compete with us,” he said. “They intend for 20 percent of their people to be college educated by 2020 or 2025.” Kress said that currently, only 18 percent of college graduates are ready for college or work, while only 13 to 14 percent of ninth-graders in Texas go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Kress suggested that rewarding teachers with money, honor and recognition when their students do well is one way to improve the state of education. High expectations are another.

“There’s a high school that is 100 percent Hispanic, 100 percent poor and that has 100 percent graduation rates,” he said. “And they won’t even give you your diploma until you are accepted by a college.”

Kress’ words stuck a chord with R.C. Paulette. “It’s a very enlightening subject that needs to be addressed,” Paulette, a Rotarian, said.

Mayor Larry Melton, who also attended, agreed. “I think it’s great,” he said. “I think he’s pointed out a problem that’s nationwide and that we need to look at.”

Attendee Earl Husband said he appreciated Kress’ visit. “It’s nice to know that the people in Austin care enough to come out and talk to us at a grassroots level,” he said.