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U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education

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# Raise the Bar: Comprehensive and Rigorous Education

# Raise the Bar: Comprehensive and Rigorous Education

                                    -        *Goal: Develop a comprehensive and rigorous education for every  student with high-quality instruction that prepares them to be active, engaged,  and lifelong learners.***Raise the Bar One-Pagers**English  The Problem
  For students to thrive  academically and be globally competitive, they require access to a broad and  challenging education that provides opportunities to build deep knowledge and  useful life skills across many disciplines. However, access to a comprehensive  and rigorous education is not equitable across all students and all  communities, which prevents our young people from realizing their potential and  succeeding.

  Research shows that  when students have access to rich learning experiences across the spectrum of  education, they are more likely to be engaged in school, get better grades,  attend school more, and graduate on time. While our high school graduation rate  is at a high point for the nation, there are disparities when we look across  states and populations of students, including students with disabilities.  

**High School Graduation Rates SY 2020-2021**(download data as a spreadsheet)
  Our Strategies
  The Department is committed to working with  state and local leaders to expand access to high-quality early learning;  rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education;  and arts programming along with protecting students’ civil rights in schools,  supporting students’ financial literacy, and emphasizing the importance of  focusing teaching and learning on the instructional core. Robust investments  and strategic action in the areas below represent key levers to ensure every  student has access to a well-rounded education. 
  Early Learning:
  Preschool reduces achievement gaps and  supports early school success for our students. The skills and knowledge that  children acquire in their early years are the building blocks for future learning,  setting the stage for literacy, numeracy, and social skills that will be used  throughout their lives. 

  More children could benefit from high-quality  early learning opportunities that begin before kindergarten. Currently, the  average percentage of children ages 3 and 4 who are enrolled in state, special  education, and federal and state Head Start preschool programs across the  United States is 28.8 percent. For additional state-by-state information, visit  the National Institute for Early Education Research.

**Percentage of Children Enrolled in Preschool SY 2021-2022**(download data as a spreadsheet)

  To  promote a strong start in school and in life for our youngest learners, the  Department is focusing its early education agenda on expanding preschool in  Title I schools and positioning kindergarten as a sturdy bridge to the early  grades.
  Science,  Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education:
  The  Department will continue to elevate and build on the "YOU belong in STEM" initiative that helps scale equitable,  high-quality STEM education pathways for all students from prekindergarten through  higher education to spark a lifelong love of learning and inquiry and to  support their 21st-century career readiness and global competitiveness.

  This  work includes, in part, technical assistance to the early education community  on promising practices for STEM education for young children, including those  with disabilities, and the alignment of career and workforce pathways focused  on innovation and technology.

  The YOU Belong in STEM Initiative was launched at the  Department's first-ever national summit on STEM education. YOU Belong in STEM  included a new public-private partnership with Beyond100K to strengthen the national STEM educator  pipeline. The initiative galvanized 275 national organizations to make  commitments to advance key policy goals through actions totaling over $17  million and that will positively impact 12 million students and 100,000 STEM  educators.
  Arts Education:
  Approximately  $36 million in funds through the Assistance for Arts Education program is  promoting the integration of arts in education, with a focus on students who  are underserved and students with disabilities, in particular.

  Additionally,  $8 million in funds through the Assistance for Arts Education grant program to  the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will help to grow  large-scale, national-level, high-quality arts education programs and services  for children and youth, with an emphasis on serving children from low-income  families and children with disabilities, impacting about 1.5 million students  and educators annually.
  Financial  Literacy:
  The  Department awards more than $1 billion annually to states under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers  program to support  summer school and afterschool programs, which can include financial literacy  programs, alongside other priorities to help students access a wide array of  learning opportunities and gain skills that they will need to live thriving  lives.
  Focus on the Instructional Core:
  The  Department is working to drive evidence-based supports that center the  instructional core—which consists of engaged students, effective teaching, and  quality content—through technical assistance, competitive grants, and other  federal resources. 

  To further advance this work, the Department  will continue to use the bully pulpit to promote the need for effective,  high-quality professional development under the Title II, Part A program, for  example, and positive student engagement through Full-Service Community Schools and other programs.
  Fiscal Equity for Title I and  IDEA Funding:
  The  Department is working with states to provide technical assistance in using $19  billion in Title I funding to increase academic achievement and graduation  rates; support students' mental health; expand access to preschool; and improve  teacher recruitment, retention, working conditions, and compensation.

  In  addition to ongoing monitoring, the Department also is providing support and  assistance to states as they work with districts to review their resource  allocations and oversee the maintenance of equity and maintenance of effort  compliance levers, as well as push for equitable state funding for education.

  Additionally, the Department will create new  guidance to ensure that states enforce the requirements of the three IDEA state  grant programs, an investment of more than $14 billion, to improve outcomes for  children and students with disabilities.
  Protecting  Civil Rights in Schools:
  The  Office for Civil Rights will continue its civil rights enforcement in schools,  including with respect to bullying and harassment, discriminatory discipline  based on race and/or disability and/or sex, resource equity in schools, and  equal access to rigorous coursework.
  Grants and Resources: - The Department released a one-pager that highlights the agency’s commitment to advancing equitable access to STEM education nationwide. [ PDF , 365K]
- More than $8 million under the  American History and Civics Education-National Activities  grant program is helping to promote innovative instruction and       learning strategies, and quality professional development in American       history, civics, government, and geography.
- The Department’s  Student Engagement and Attendance Center (SEAC)  is  a dedicated       resource for state and local educational agencies as they work to identify       evidence-based practices for reducing rates of chronic absenteeism and       promoting regular in-school attendance. SEAC offers peer learning       opportunities for state and local leaders, delivers webinars and other       training featuring nationally recognized content experts, and highlights       effective data collection strategies and practices for improving student       attendance. 
- $182 million in Education Innovation and Research (EIR)  grant awards  to       30 school districts, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit       organizations is helping to create, develop, implement, or bring to scale       evidence-based and innovative approaches to increasing students' academic       achievement, with a specific focus on STEM education and student wellness. The EIR program also provides funds to evaluate these efforts.
- Through the  Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education       Program , the Department is awarding       $16.5 million to support coordinated research, demonstration projects,       innovative strategies, and other activities to build and enhance the       capacity of elementary and secondary schools to identify gifted and       talented students and meet their special education needs. 
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