Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Applauds New K-12 Education Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Alexandra Sollberger
December 10, 2015
202-879-9365
asollberger@podestagroup.com
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Applauds New K-12 Education Law
Praises provisions designed to better support high-achieving, low-income students
LANSDOWNE, VA – Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold Levy today issued the following statement after President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act:
“I am enormously pleased that after several years of delay the reauthorization of the nation’s K-12 education law is complete. Not only does the new law present a better path forward for the American education system but, for the first time, it will also require states to measure and track the performance of low-income students.
“As the provider of the nation’s largest scholarships to low-income, high-achieving students, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has long advocated for schools to pay special attention to the ‘Excellence Gap,’ the disparity between the academic performance of disadvantaged students and their wealthier peers with equal abilities. Now there will finally be a law in place that will direct states to do just that, while also encouraging them to implement targeted strategies to ensure every student can maximize his or her potential.
“Furthermore, the Every Student Succeeds Act will help support high-ability students with economic need by allowing states to cover the costs associated with accelerated learning opportunities that can lead to college credit, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. The law also includes several provisions to help teachers and school leaders better identify and teach high-achieving students, with special attention paid to high-ability learners who are low-income or “at-risk.”
“I am very glad that we will at last have an education law in place that recognizes the importance of supporting the success of all students – regardless of income or circumstance, including those who have demonstrated that they can achieve at a high level. We applaud Congress and the Administration for coming together to complete this proposal, and look forward to seeing the new law go into effect in 2016.”
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The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the largest scholarships in the U.S., comprehensive counseling and other support services to students from 7th grade to graduate school. Since 2000 it has awarded $147 million in scholarships to nearly 2,000 students and over $88 million in grants to organizations that serve high-achieving, low-income students. www.jkcf.org
