Latest news with #NAEP
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Dr. Tony Bennett Returns to Strategos Group as Partner Emeritus
TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / June 25, 2025 / Strategos Group is proud to announce the return of former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and former Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Tony Bennett as Partner Emeritus. A nationally recognized leader in education reform, Bennett rejoins the firm he helped shape in its earliest days, bringing decades of experience focused on improving student outcomes. "Tony's return to Strategos is both unique and deeply meaningful. In the earliest chapters of our journey, Tony was a foundational force - shaping our mission to advance the American education system," said Adam Giery, managing partner of Strategos Group. "His return marks a full-circle moment that strengthens our shared commitment to improving the lives of students across the country. Tony joins a remarkable team of former state chiefs, including Johnny Key (Arkansas, 2015-2023), Tom Luna (Idaho, 2006-2014), and Jim Horne (Florida, 2001-2004). His experience, acumen, and perspective will further our portfolio of education enterprises and solidify our position as the nation's leading education management consultancy." Bennett previously served as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and Florida Commissioner of Education, where he led aggressive reform agendas centered on accountability, school choice, and notable student success. Most recently, he served as President of School Management at Stride Learning (K12), a publicly traded company and the nation's largest provider of virtual K-12 education. "I'm honored to return to Strategos and rejoin a team deeply committed to advancing the lives of students. I've long believed Strategos brings together the sharpest minds and the strongest convictions in the business. This work has always been personal to me - my life's work has been to elevate outcomes and make a real difference for kids. I'm proud to stand alongside this team once again and contribute to a mission that matters," Bennett said. Bennett is widely recognized for leading Indiana through one of the most ambitious education reform efforts in the nation, including the launch of the country's largest school voucher program, increased Advanced Placement participation, and significant gains on the NAEP and state assessments. "It's an honor to welcome Tony, who is one of the most transformative education leaders in the country, back to Strategos. He was instrumental in our early work to shape a firm grounded in integrity, innovation, and student-centered outcomes. Tony brings unmatched insight and a deep understanding of how policy and practice intersect to drive real results. His return strengthens our leadership team and reinforces our unwavering commitment to improving education systems across the country," said Jim Horne, former Florida education commissioner and a partner at Strategos Group. About Strategos GroupFounded in 2011, Strategos Group is a national education management consultancy providing expertise to organizations in the education sector. The firm works with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, startups, philanthropic organizations, and private equity firms, offering strategic guidance at the national, state, and local levels. Strategos has offices in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. SOURCE: Strategos Group press release
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dr. Tony Bennett Returns to Strategos Group as Partner Emeritus
TAMPA, FL / / June 25, 2025 / Strategos Group is proud to announce the return of former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and former Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Tony Bennett as Partner Emeritus. A nationally recognized leader in education reform, Bennett rejoins the firm he helped shape in its earliest days, bringing decades of experience focused on improving student outcomes. "Tony's return to Strategos is both unique and deeply meaningful. In the earliest chapters of our journey, Tony was a foundational force - shaping our mission to advance the American education system," said Adam Giery, managing partner of Strategos Group. "His return marks a full-circle moment that strengthens our shared commitment to improving the lives of students across the country. Tony joins a remarkable team of former state chiefs, including Johnny Key (Arkansas, 2015-2023), Tom Luna (Idaho, 2006-2014), and Jim Horne (Florida, 2001-2004). His experience, acumen, and perspective will further our portfolio of education enterprises and solidify our position as the nation's leading education management consultancy." Bennett previously served as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and Florida Commissioner of Education, where he led aggressive reform agendas centered on accountability, school choice, and notable student success. Most recently, he served as President of School Management at Stride Learning (K12), a publicly traded company and the nation's largest provider of virtual K-12 education. "I'm honored to return to Strategos and rejoin a team deeply committed to advancing the lives of students. I've long believed Strategos brings together the sharpest minds and the strongest convictions in the business. This work has always been personal to me - my life's work has been to elevate outcomes and make a real difference for kids. I'm proud to stand alongside this team once again and contribute to a mission that matters," Bennett said. Bennett is widely recognized for leading Indiana through one of the most ambitious education reform efforts in the nation, including the launch of the country's largest school voucher program, increased Advanced Placement participation, and significant gains on the NAEP and state assessments. "It's an honor to welcome Tony, who is one of the most transformative education leaders in the country, back to Strategos. He was instrumental in our early work to shape a firm grounded in integrity, innovation, and student-centered outcomes. Tony brings unmatched insight and a deep understanding of how policy and practice intersect to drive real results. His return strengthens our leadership team and reinforces our unwavering commitment to improving education systems across the country," said Jim Horne, former Florida education commissioner and a partner at Strategos Group. About Strategos GroupFounded in 2011, Strategos Group is a national education management consultancy providing expertise to organizations in the education sector. The firm works with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, startups, philanthropic organizations, and private equity firms, offering strategic guidance at the national, state, and local levels. Strategos has offices in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Contact Information Antonio Hebert Sr. Manager, Strategic Communication & Brand Developmentmediarelations@ SOURCE: Strategos Group View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
What Parents—and Industry—Need To Know About Education's Future
As the school year ends, many parents are breathing a sigh of relief—but they also have some critical homework of their own. America's education system is in crisis—one that transcends test scores and headlines. It's a slow-burning, systemic failure that has robbed millions of students of opportunity and taxpayers of trust. With all the money we spend, why aren't our kids learning? Consider this: Governments at all levels spend over $850 billion annually on K–12 education—averaging more than $16,000 per student, and exceeding $29,000 in places like New York and Washington, D.C, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that 69% of eighth graders are not proficient in reading, and 73% are not proficient in math. These poor results are not new. They have persisted through pre-pandemic years, despite record-high spending. If this were any other public service, there would be outrage. Instead, families are met with shrugs and excuses. The excuses range from COVID-era learning loss to a lack of funding. But these rationalizations collapse under scrutiny. Student performance has been flat or declining since 2013, and pandemic relief funds—totaling more than $190 billion—barely moved the needle. That money is now gone, and districts are facing a fiscal cliff after investing in one-time fixes instead of systemic improvements. It was irresponsible spending with no accountability—and families know it. Fortunately, parents are no longer waiting for top-down solutions. They are driving a movement for education freedom—a shift toward a future where learning is personalized, innovative, and accountable to the people it serves. That's what the Center for Education Reform's 2025 Parent Power! Index reveals. It's not a measure of school choice alone; it's a roadmap of how well states empower parents through access to options, meaningful funding portability, and a culture of transparency and innovation. In states like Texas, Iowa, Indiana, and Arkansas, recent legislation has transformed the landscape. Texas jumped 15 spots in this year's Index after launching the largest day-one Education Savings Account (ESA) program in the country. Iowa made ESAs universal and expanded its charter school sector. Indiana enacted new policies to ensure charter schools receive equitable funding, helping it rank third nationally. Arkansas expanded its ESA program to provide universal eligibility, moving it into the top 10. These states didn't just talk about parent power—they backed it with laws that let funding follow the student and gave families the freedom to choose. This momentum matters not just for families—but for economic growth. States that empower parents are also outperforming economically. When education policy aligns with workforce needs, innovation flourishes and businesses thrive. It's no coincidence that states leading in education freedom—like Texas, Indiana, and Iowa—are also magnets for economic development. Governors who deliver results in education are winning in other sectors too, because great education fuels a great economy. Several other states also saw dramatic improvements. Wyoming surged 30 spots after enacting a new education scholarship program. North Dakota climbed 18 positions with strong charter legislation. Louisiana, Idaho, and Tennessee all rose substantially by expanding or creating new programs that prioritize parent-directed learning. These ranking shifts underscore a broader trend: bold governors and state leaders who enact strong laws and align workforce needs with educational delivery are leading the charge in responding to parent demands. Meanwhile, too many states remain stuck in bureaucratic inertia. Nebraska slid 18 spots after voters repealed its newly passed choice law. South Carolina and the District of Columbia lost ground due to missteps in managing challenges to ESA and charter programs, respectively. These declines reflect the consequences of weak follow-through, lack of vision, or resistance to innovation. State leadership is the key variable. In a polarized era, it is often governors—regardless of party—who are earning popularity and political capital by championing education freedom. When state executives embrace policies that fund students rather than systems, they don't just improve education; they build public trust. Parents want more than vague promises. They want a guarantee that their children are worth the same amount in public funding regardless of which school they choose. They want transparency in curriculum and outcomes. They want innovation that breaks free from one-size-fits-all models. And most of all, they want urgency. Education freedom isn't a theory. It's happening now in microschools, hybrid academies, online platforms, and career-based programs across the country. When parents are in charge, education becomes dynamic and adaptive. Students thrive. Educators innovate. Communities grow stronger. This isn't just a policy imperative. It's a moral one. Every year we wait, another generation of students slips through the cracks. We need leaders who are willing to challenge the status quo, put families first, and fund education that works—wherever it happens. The Parent Power! Index doesn't just highlight where states stand; it offers a vision of what's possible when we stop funding systems and start funding families. That's how we reclaim excellence, restore trust, and fulfill the promise of American education.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
6 in 10 children can't read or do basic math: Why they're attending school but not learning
Foundational learning is in freefall across the globe. From Sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, millions of children are leaving classrooms without the ability to read a simple sentence or solve a basic math problem. The pandemic exacerbated a pre-existing crisis, but the learning poverty has become a grave educational failure of our time. The crisis has not spared wealthy nations either. In the United States, the January 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows reading scores at their lowest in decades, with nearly a third of eighth graders performing below basic level. Math outcomes in America were no better, with stagnation and widening disparities, particularly among historically marginalized groups. UNESCO 's 2025 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report underscores the magnitude of this global learning crisis: six in ten children worldwide now lack minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of primary school. Minimum proficiency means being able to demonstrate at least a basic understanding of reading or arithmetic concepts appropriate to the child's grade level. Yet, this milestone remains out of reach for over 60% of primary-aged learners, suggests the survey. In many low- and middle-income countries, these figures are even more severe, underscoring the deep inequities baked into global education systems. Millions in school, yet learning levels plummet: A global snapshot The learning crisis is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with sub-Saharan Africa showing the slowest progress. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like local network access control Esseps Learn More In several African nations, fewer than one in five children reach minimum proficiency in mathematics or reading by the end of primary school. For example, some countries have shown no improvement—or even decline—in learning outcomes despite increased access to schooling. Latin America, though slightly better, has also experienced setbacks, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In some countries in the region, learning losses during school closures have undone a decade's worth of progress. Meanwhile, wealthier regions such as Europe and North America generally have higher learning proficiency rates, but even there, marginalized communities—especially among migrants and low-income groups—continue to lag behind. What's driving the global learning crisis? The global trends, we know, reveal that despite record levels of school enrolment, millions of children are failing to acquire even the most basic reading and math skills. The reasons are systemic, structural—and deeply entrenched. Here's a snapshot of what's going wrong: Teacher shortages and low quality of instruction: Many classrooms, especially in low-income countries, are overcrowded and under-resourced, with underqualified or unsupported teachers. Inadequate infrastructure: Millions of students attend schools without electricity, water, or basic learning materials. Learning poverty: Children from poorer households are more likely to enter school late, attend irregularly, or drop out early. Gender disparities and conflict: In fragile contexts and regions affected by war or political instability, girls are disproportionately affected. Language barriers: In many countries, children are taught in languages they do not speak at home, compounding comprehension issues. Lack of early childhood development : The report emphasizes the critical role of pre-primary education in setting a foundation, yet many children still lack access to quality early learning. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Opinion: In Algebra 1, New Understanding of an Old Problem Can Support Students
Schools are often described as engines of opportunity — places where students gain the skills and knowledge needed to build their futures. But for too many young people, that engine stalls before it even starts. One critical inflection point is the completion of Algebra I. It can determine whether students move forward or fall behind, shaping not just their academic trajectory but also their future economic mobility. For students who pass Algebra I — typically in 9th grade — a door opens to higher-level math, college readiness, and stronger career prospects. For those who don't, that door can remain closed. In fact, students who fail Algebra I are four times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers who pass. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter According to the 2024 NAEP scores, only 28% of students were proficient in 8th grade math. That sobering number underscores the challenge: Students are entering Algebra I already behind, grappling with unfinished learning from prior grades. Without effective intervention, the gap only grows wider. To better understand how to support students in mastering Algebra I, TNTP and New Classrooms analyzed three years of data from more than 2,000 students who used Teach to One Roadmaps, an online learning platform developed by New Classrooms, alongside their regular Algebra I classroom. The findings, detailed in the report, Unlocking Algebra: What the Data Tells Us About Helping Students Catch Up, offer important insights into how students build algebraic understanding over time and which strategies are most effective in helping them succeed. The study found that students make the most progress when rebuilding foundational knowledge is paired with opportunities to learn new content. That requires focusing on high-leverage, pre-requisite skills rather than trying to fill every gap. Intervention supports like tutoring must be tightly aligned to what students already know and what they are ready to learn next. And instructional coherence is essential. Students need consistent, connected learning experiences — from core instruction to other interventions — to truly accelerate. Related The majority of students in the study began knowing only about one-third of the algebra-related concepts and skills from prior grades. But the data also showed that students can catch up — especially when instruction helps them both rebuild key foundations and continue learning new, grade-level material. They don't need to stop moving forward while trying to recover everything they've missed. The research found that instruction was significantly more effective when it targeted the key predecessor skills that unlock access to new Algebra I content, rather than attempting to remediate everything. For example, when students are trying to learn 'the average rate of change,' the key predecessor skills with the greatest likelihood of ensuring success are the ability to calculate the slope between two points, to construct functions to model a linear relationship, and to determine function rules from tables. When key skills like these are not already mastered, students were found to succeed in only one out of 10 attempts. But when they are explicitly addressed, students' success rate jumped to 58%. The takeaway: Students don't need to catch up on all unfinished learning to move forward. Precision matters more than breadth. Instead of broad, generalized approaches, educators can accelerate learning by focusing on the skills that matter most for unlocking new content and that build on each student's existing knowledge. Over the course of a school year, aligning interventions with core instruction also made a measurable difference. This targeted strategy helped students learn nearly twice as many new algebra concepts by year end. That progress mattered: Students who had mastered twice as many concepts were significantly more likely to score proficient on their state's Algebra I assessment. These insights point to a larger truth: System-level instructional coherence is essential. Students thrive when their learning experiences—from core instruction to tutoring to other supports—are aligned, purposeful, and grounded in a shared understanding of what success looks like. In Algebra I, for example, instructional coherence ensures that the foundational skills students practice in tutoring or support programs directly connect to what's being taught in class, so every learning opportunity builds toward mastering key algebra concepts rather than feeling disconnected or repetitive. If schools are to serve as true engines of opportunity, all parts of the system—curriculum, instruction, and intervention—must work together. That's especially true when it comes to Algebra I, the gateway course that often determines who accelerates and who stalls out. Coherence isn't just about what happens in the math classroom; it requires alignment across grade levels, teacher teams, and entire systems. Related When selecting intervention solutions, district leaders should ask key questions: How does the platform determine what each student is ready to learn? Does it tailor practice to individual needs? The most effective tools meet students where they are and guide them towards mastery, with a clear focus on skills that unlock Algebra I. At the state level, much of the recent focus has rightly been on ensuring rigorous classroom curricula. But few states offer clear guidance on what high-quality intervention should look like. This is a missed opportunity. State leaders can leverage existing curriculum review processes to advocate for coherent intervention tools: ones that are aligned to classroom instruction, address unfinished learning, and build towards grade-level content. Algebra I is more than just a math class. It's a defining moment in a student's academic life and a powerful measure of whether the school system is delivering on its promise of opportunity. Right now, too many students are stalling before they ever get a chance to accelerate. But we now have a clearer roadmap for helping them catch up—and keep up. The tools are here. The knowledge is here. The opportunity is waiting. Let's make sure the engine starts.
