[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 25864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               EDUCATION

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I will take this opportunity, while we are 
waiting for paperwork, to follow up on something I just mentioned; and 
it is on the subject of education. It has to do with an announcement 
that most of us saw in the newspaper a couple days ago. The report came 
out last week. It is this: The United States, when you compare us to 28 
other industrialized countries, and you look at math literacy for 15-
year-olds, you would guess that we might be at the top. No. You would 
guess we might be No. 5. No. You would say: Well, the United States of 
America, we have to be No. 10. No. You would say, we have to be 15th 
out of those 29 when you compare us to other countries. The answer is 
no. Well, then you may say: Out of 29 countries surely we are 20th, 
being the most powerful Nation in the world and the most affluent 
Nation in the world. And the answer is no.
  Out of 29 industrialized countries, for 15-year-olds--my youngest son 
is 17 years old, so he is 2 years older--we are 24th. I did not believe 
it when I first saw it, and I called my statistician friends, and they 
said: Yes, it is true. In fact, everybody agrees it is true. In its 
most recent round of testing, the Program for International Student 
Assessment finds that the United States falls behind--again, we are 
24th out of 29--such countries as Finland, Korea, Canada, the Czech 
Republic, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Spain, and, yes, 
France.
  Even more depressing than that, these dismal results are consistent 
with all the international comparisons. It is not just this one study, 
but it is consistent with all other international studies. American 
students lag far behind their industrialized counterparts in math, 
reading, and in science across the board. Contrary to the clamor of the 
education lobby, it is not money. We are spending the money. We are 
spending more money than any other country on education. In fact, we 
spend 30 to 80 percent more per pupil than any other industrialized 
nation.
  Since 1960, the U.S. has spent nearly a trillion dollars on K-12 
public education. The result, according to the report, current U.S. 
math scores fall below Latvia. Then we look to the future. We know, as 
we look to the future, it is going to be based on the information 
foundation of our economy today. And if we are going to be competitive, 
it is clear we are going to have to start, because if it is true for 
the eighth grade, it is true for the 15-year-olds, it is true for the 
twelfth grade. In all of these we are failing.
  If we look to the future, when we talk about outsourcing jobs, when 
we talk about global competitiveness and our efficiency, none of that 
matters very much unless we have appropriate training and education for 
our young people today who are the workforce of tomorrow. It is an 
economic reality, and we are failing.
  Although we just got through the campaign season, we are looking 
ahead. Fortunately, President Bush said 4 years ago: My No. 1 priority 
is going to be education. Sure enough, working in a bipartisan way in 
this body, we passed a huge reform, No Child Left Behind. This 
Republican-led Congress, the President of the United States were 
absolutely committed to saying: The status quo is unsatisfactory. We 
believed that every single child has that right to learn. And it is our 
obligation, our responsibility--a lot of people say: No, it is not a 
Federal responsibility, it is everybody's responsibility--to support 
the reforms that help meet that goal of giving every child that 
opportunity to and the right to learn.
  Three years ago we passed No Child Left Behind. It was landmark 
legislation. For the first time it holds America's public schools 
accountable for results. Students in grades 3 to 8 are now tested every 
year on basic reading and math skills. We have to be able to measure 
progress over time. Otherwise we will not know whether what we are 
doing in terms of getting better teachers, giving teachers better 
supplies and a better opportunity to teach, we are not going to know 
whether anything works unless we can measure--and the measurement is 
under way--and to get parents involved.
  Now we are able, by holding both the schools and parents accountable. 
They are going to get more involved and they are more involved today. 
We have given them specific tools to be able to measure their own 
child's progress and their own child's school and, if necessary, to use 
public funds to secure additional tutoring, public funds that weren't 
there before, but to use those public funds if you need that additional 
tutoring.
  We introduced that whole concept that if the school is failing, thus 
your child is going to fail; if the whole school is failing, to give 
that opportunity to maybe send your child, if that school is failing, 
to a better school. Maybe it is a school down the road. That is just 3 
years ago. In 3 short years, these straightforward accountability 
measures are getting results.
  According to a March study by the Council of Great Schools, the 
achievement gap in both math and reading between African Americans and 
Whites and Hispanics and Whites is getting narrower in both categories. 
The National Assessment of Education Progress reports that since 2000, 
math scores have increased nine points among fourth graders and five 
points among eighth graders. Math scores for low-income fourth graders 
have improved even more dramatically, showing a 14-point gain. Simply 
by raising those education standards, public schools are striving to 
reach them and are making progress.
  The nonpartisan, Denver-based Education Commission of the States 
finds that not since the 1970s have States been so responsive to 
Federal education reform. One might say better late than never, but 
that would fail to give proper credit where it is due. The President 
deserves great praise for his determination to put America's public 
schools back on track. After three decades of stalled progress, we are 
turning finally to fact-based scientific solutions so that all of 
America's children can learn and will learn.
  There is a lot more to do. And as with our intelligence reform bill 
today, this is not the end. This is a start. We are going to continue 
to have appropriate reforms, strengthening programs that we act on here 
in this body.
  In the next Congress, when it comes to education, we will do more to 
strengthen our schools and our school systems so every child has that 
opportunity to learn. As the President has set out, since we have 
already focused on K-12, we will begin to look at the college level and 
further at that secondary school level. We are committed to expanding 
opportunities for every American to acquire the education and skills 
they need to compete and succeed in an ever expanding and dynamic 
economy.
  Our Founding Fathers, who are cited so frequently and appropriately 
on this floor, believed deeply that a successful democracy and a viable 
democracy requires an educated and engaged citizenry. I am confident 
that by adhering to high standards of achievement and accountability, 
we will produce an education system worthy of their great hopes.

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