“We must continue to work toward the critically important
end-goal of raising achievement for all students
and closing the achievement gap during good times and bad.”

In his 7th and final State of Education Address, Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, highlighted progress in student achievement and the race against time to build an education system that will prepare every student for success in the global economy of the 21st century.

While acknowledging deep cuts in school funding, as well as the achievement gap that exists between white and Asian students and Latino and black students, O’Connell shared good news too, “In each of the last seven years since our statewide tests were completely aligned to our high standards, California public school students have made real gains in achievement. Today, half of our students are proficient in English-language arts. Think about this: seven years ago only 35 percent of our students met this high bar. In mathematics, 46 percent of California’s students are now at the proficient or above level eleven points above where we were seven years ago.”

Full text for this speech can be found here.