National Association of Secondary School Principals Statement on President's Education Comments in State of the Union Address

1/21/2004

From: Michael Carr of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, 703-860-7260

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 -- The following is a statement by the National Association of Secondary School Principals on the President's State of the Union address:

The National Association of Secondary School Principals is encouraged by the President's comments in the State of the Union address emphasizing the needs of America's middle level and high school students. The President's proposal to provide federal assistance to middle level and high school students in reading, math, and science, and to expand Advanced Placement (AP) programs in low-income schools, is support long overdue from the federal government. We sincerely hope that the President's pledge will be reflected in his fiscal year 2005 budget proposal that will be released in two weeks.

Over the years, it has been the practice of elected officials and policymakers to direct the bulk of federal education resources toward the early grades while providing little support to middle level and high schools to improve teaching methods, reading instruction, and student achievement, or to bring those students who have fallen behind up to grade level. Such neglect has been rewarded with sub par test scores in literacy, math, and science at the middle and high school levels. When it comes to reading and writing in particular, policymakers have often taken the initiative to address early learning and reading programs but failed to address the needs of students who are still performing below average in later grades. The President's proposal is a step in the right direction.

If we are to prepare the nation's adolescents and teenagers to attain "Jobs for the 21st Century", we must provide states and school districts with resources and tools necessary to improve adolescent reading and writing literacy, which is the linchpin to success in all academic areas. There is a great deal of evidence to support this call for action.

In fact, in the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress, one in four eighth grade students performed below basic levels in reading. It is critical to address this setback as students progress through the middle grades to high school. We know that of the 20 million students currently enrolled in middle level and high schools, close to 6 million students read well below grade level-and we know that a lack of literacy skills is why the majority of young people leave school before graduation. Below average reading skills can affect performance in many other subject areas, which leads to an increased potential for high school dropouts. With the President's leadership and Congressional support, improving adolescent reading and writing literacy skills can lead to improved student achievement in all subject areas. However, without adequate funding and trained reading personnel-who currently do not exist in secondary schools-it becomes very difficult for middle level and high schools to implement developmental reading programs that are reinforced across the curriculum to enhance the academic development of every secondary school student.

The President has made such a commitment before. Early Reading First and Reading First have been welcome new policies that have already generated positive results in grades K-3, providing $1 billion in new resources to elementary schools. The resources provided through these initiatives have enabled schools to invest in research-based reading curriculum and high quality teacher professional development. A similar investment is needed for secondary schools. Currently, federal dollars rarely stretch beyond the 6th grade. As little as 5 percent of Title I funds- the federal government's largest investment in K-12 education-is directed to secondary schools. Serving the youngest first makes sense. Not serving older students has tragic consequences that can and should be addressed. Hopefully, the President's proposal will be the first step in addressing the issue.

With this in mind, we commend the President's proposal and eagerly await the release of his FY 2005 budget. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to ensure that the needs of the nation's middle level and high school students are met.

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The National Association of Secondary School Principals-the preeminent organization and the national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders-provides its members the professional resources to serve as visionary leaders. NASSP promotes the intellectual growth, academic achievement, character development, leadership development, and physical well being of youth through its student leadership programs. NASSP sponsors the National Honor Society(tm), the National Junior Honor Society(tm), and the National Association of Student Councils(tm).