At the same time, he and Education Secretary Richard Riley loudly advocate more exacting standards in elementary and high school. Schools and students rise to the expectations we set for them. No one of prominence in either party advocates such standards. Students who flunked wouldn't get federal aid. Let's be clear about the legitimacy of a federal standard.
Students receiving aid ought to earn the privilege by showing educational capability.
It does say that people who receive federal aid also assume obligations. This is the sort of sensible personal accountability embodied in welfare reform. We know, for example, how most states compare with each other from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tests a national sample of students. States ranged from 15 percent in Louisiana and 18 percent in Mississippi and California to 38 percent in Connecticut and North Dakota. School districts within most states also can compare themselves with each other.