President Obama Likes LBUSD

3/20/09

President Barack Obama likes what the Long Beach Unified School District is doing.

In his first major policy speech on education of his presidency, Obama pointed to the district’s data-driven instruction as something other districts across the nation should emulate.

“Of course, raising standards alone will not make much of a difference unless we provide teachers and principals with the information they need to make sure students are prepared to meet those standards,” Obama said.

“And far too few states have data systems like the one in Florida that keep track of a student's education from childhood through college.  And far too few districts are emulating the example of Houston and Long Beach, and using data to track how much progress a student is making and where that student is struggling.

“That's a resource that can help us improve student achievement . . . so we can assess what's working and what's not.  That's why we're making a major investment in this area that will cultivate a new culture of accountability in America's schools,” Obama said.