Citing the “new normal” and impending budget cuts, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged state leaders to boost student achievement despite dwindling resources.
“There is a right way and a wrong way to cut spending, and the most important guiding principle I can offer is to minimize the negative impact on students and seize this opportunity to redirect your spending priorities,” Duncan warned during a national media call.
President Obama and leading foundations have called for dramatically increasing college U.S. degree production. However, current economic and political pressure suggest the goal will have to be accomplished with fewer resources.
The Education Department released several documents to help guide state policymakers. One provides specific examples of states and districts leveraging local partnerships and resources, promoting the use of technology and changing teacher and principal compensation systems to reward excellence.
For more, on degree productivity, see NEJHE articles “Making It Real” by Jane Wellman, director of the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability, and “Putting Money Where the Mouth Is” by Dennis Jones, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.
Related Posts: Complete College America Launches State Grants for Innovative Ways to Boost Degrees; Raising Degree Productivity by Spending Wisely
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