Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - April 23, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, while many measures are being taken at the Federal, State and local levels to improve student achievement in America, our high school students are still being left behind. High school students continue to lag in both math and reading. In 12th grade, less than a quarter of students scored proficient or better on the math assessment, and only 35 percent were proficient or better on the reading assessment.

Furthermore, Federal funding is not currently going to the high schools that are in the most need. The main source of Federal funds is through the title I program. Yet only 8 percent of students who benefit from these funds are in high school. Ninety percent of high schools with very low graduation rates have many low-income students.

The statistics on high school graduation rates are staggering. About 1,000 high schools across the country only graduate half their students, and only about 70 percent of high school students graduate on time. Among African Americans and Latinos, only 55 percent graduate on time. It is clear that high schools need more assistance in supporting and retaining students.

The continued partnership between local, State and the Federal Government is essential in improving secondary education in America. That is why the Graduation Promise Act provides the necessary funding to improve the capacity of low-performing high schools, decrease dropout rates and increase student achievement. The act speaks directly to the root of the problem, providing support to high schools and middle schools to both assist and retain students who may have fallen between the cracks.

The Graduation Promise Act would make great strides in helping high school students achieve to their fullest potential. The act would provide $2.5 billion to build capacity for secondary school improvement, and at the same time provide States and local school districts with the resources to ensure high schools with the greatest challenges receive the support they need to implement research-based interventions.

Research shows that we can identify students who are most at-risk for not completing high school as early as sixth grade. With early intervention, quality teachers, small classes, and data-driven instruction we can ensure that these students make progress, stay in school and succeed.

The act assists these efforts by supporting the development and dissemination of highly effective secondary school models for students most at risk of being left behind. It would also strengthen state improvement systems to identify, differentiate among, and target the level of reform and resources necessary to improve low-performing high schools, while ensuring transparency and accountability. Finally, the act would support states' continuing efforts to align State policies and systems to meet the goal of college and career-ready graduation for all students.

Bringing our schools into the 21st century is the ultimate goal of this important piece of legislation. Local schools, States and the Federal Government must continue to work together to modernize the practices and models that are being used to ensure success from all of our high school students. Updating the system for the current times is a difficult process, but with the assistance of the Graduation Promise Act, all high school students can be given the tools necessary to succeed both in school and beyond.

I thank my colleagues, Senator Bingaman and Senator Burr, for their good work on this initiative and their leadership on this issue. I look forward to working with them on this and many other important issues as we move forward with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source