Panel
K-12 Education Reform: Forward or Faltering?
Milken InstituteRon Brownstein, Kevin Huffman, Ruslan Ali, Lowell Milken, Patricia Levesque, Bruce Reed, Brooke Allen, Ted Fenton
- Global industrialized nations are expected to outpace U.S. growth, creating a competitiveness deficit that requires political will to address American education's trajectory.
- The trend of educational mediocrity warned of in 1983 is predicted to persist due to a lack of focus and will to scale existing K-12 research and successes.
- Current student achievement results are viewed as insufficient because the teaching profession has not been prioritized, though the sector is moving forward at a pace deemed too slow.
- A convergence of left and far-right political opposition against standards, measurement, and charter schools is anticipated to form a "perfect storm" that impedes reform efforts.
- Political challenges include skepticism among parents and constituents regarding the necessity of reforms, alongside a predicted vitriolic pushback and roll-back on rigor if consequences are attached to standards.
- The reform movement is forecasted to expand through successive waves, with charter school enrollment projected to grow significantly, though rural adoption may lag behind urban areas.
- Common Core standards are expected to survive and influence future College Board SAT alignments, despite concerns about "anti-testing fatigue" hindering long-term measurement success.
- New assessments are predicted to expose inflated state proficiency claims, revealing a communication gap where testing is viewed as punitive rather than a tool for professional growth.
- Demographic shifts indicate that by September, the graduating class will be majority children of color, with the white majority class becoming a historical anomaly.
- The workforce net growth through 2030 will consist primarily of minorities, with a projected decline in the number of white workers by that date.
- Closing the reading and math achievement gap is projected to take until 2030 based on current growth rates, during which 75 million additional children are expected to pass through the system.
- Progress in closing gaps, as seen in states like Florida, relies on accountability and choice mechanisms rather than integration mandates, as racial segregation laws are no longer the sole driver of policy.
- The Vergara court ruling is anticipated to declare current tenure and dismissal provisions unconstitutional, necessitating new mechanisms to compensate teachers in challenging schools.
- Equity improvements are viewed as dependent on ensuring the most qualified teachers serve the most challenged students, with historical gains requiring federal or court mandates.
- Universal preschool is considered essential for closing achievement gaps visible by age four, provided the system avoids monopolistic structures and allows for customized, choice-based implementation.
- Education policy is expected to shift toward state-level decision-making and vision setting, as federal legislation remains stalemated and state flexibility in using incentive funds is preferred.
- Federal interventions using competitions and preconditioning funds are seen as more effective at spurring change than existing legislation, particularly when coupled with flexibility.
- Resource allocation currently favors tenure-based salary structures rather than performance, despite the belief that existing funds could be utilized more effectively to yield beneficial results.
- Reforms such as universal pre-K and effective teacher preparation will require increased investment, with the highest leverage for closing attainment gaps identified as teacher quality, preparation, and personalized learning technology.