However, we still have a large group of students who have yet to meet challenging standards. And the test will give us a way to measure student performance against national and even international standards of excellence. I am pleased that former Secretary of Education William Bennett has supported bipartisan efforts to develop this voluntary national reading test, as well as a voluntary 8th-grade math test. Only 36 percent of those who do not take these courses go to college. Yet only 25 percent of U. S. 8th graders now take algebra.
Education is a state responsibility and a local function.
Good schools are the result of dedicated teachers and principals, supportive communities, and involved parents. I am proud that the U. S. Department of Education played a major role in the creation and development of the national Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, which now includes over 3,000 organizations. But education is also a national priority, and the American people support a limited but important role for the federal government. Federal investments in education represent less than 10 percent of all investments in education in our country. But every dollar is precious because we target priorities and pressing needs.