The U.S. News and World Report – Liza McFadden and Doro Bush Koch
“As millions of children headed back to school earlier this month, educators across the nation prepared their classrooms and lesson plans with high hopes for a successful academic year. While the learning that takes place within those classroom walls is undeniably important, we must remember that it does not represent the entirety of a child’s educational experience. This week, as we celebrate National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, we must focus on a critical, and often overlooked, component of K-12 student success: parents. Nationwide, concerns about student achievement are well documented. Mounting data makes us question whether our children are receiving the education they need and deserve. The U.S. spends more per student than other countries on K-12 education, but that spending does not translate into better performance. Only 36 percent of our nation’s fourth graders are proficient in reading, earning the U.S. a ranking of 17 out of 34 counties surveyed by the Program for International Student Assessment.”(more)