Educators urge closing opportunity gap on `Nation at Risk' anniversary, April 25

On the 30th anniversary of the landmark education reform report, A Nation at Risk, which spawned a decades-long focus on closing the academic “achievement gap” between low-income and minority children and their peers, three leading educators will call for a radical change in educators’ focus – to close the “opportunity gap.”

This National Press Club Newsmakers news conference is on Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m in the NPC's Zenger Room.

At the event, the authors of a new book and education reform campaign called Closing the Opportunity Gap will address how the current intense emphasis on standardized test scores and other educational outcomes is counter-productive. A real improvement in learning requires more focus on addressing inputs, thereby closing the opportunity gap, they will argue.

The authors also will announce plans to rate states on how well they are doing on creating opportunity.

Discussing their new book and new approach will be University of Colorado Professor Kevin Welner, who is also director of the National Education Policy Center; Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University and co-director of the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education; and John Jackson, president of the Schott Foundation.

The Newsmaker event will also feature remarks from Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA).

The Obama administration has been drawing attention in recent months to the opportunity gap and to spending on inputs such as programs for early childhood education and English language learners.

CONTACT: Jamie Horwitz, NPC Newsmakers Committee Event Host
Phone: 202-549-4921, [email protected]