States lag on school innovation

To reform the American education system, states and districts need more flexibility, better accountability, more capacity, and a stronger reform environment, according to a report card released by a coalition of concerned organizations. The report, "Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Innovation," was issued by members of the US Chamber of Commerce, the Center for American Progress, and Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies for the American Enterprise Institute. It is billed as a call for action in response to how poorly states fared on key indicators of educational innovation. The state-by-state report card evaluates educational innovation, which the researchers defined as "the process of leveraging new tools, talent, and management strategies to craft solutions that were not possible in an earlier era."