California's African-American and Latino students continue to lag behind whites and Asians in the classroom. In his 2007 State of Education Address yesterday Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said closing that "achievement gap" is his top priority.
O’Connell: There is simply no harder job in education than closing this pernicious achievement gap. But there is also simply nothing more important."
O'Connell has asked a council of teachers, business leaders and parents to create a plan to close the gap, and he wants a summit in November to discuss progress. In his Address, O'Connell also asked the legislature to set aside $32 million for a statewide data system to track student achievement.
