Yesterday, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings formally announced plans for higher education reform. Attempting to achieve the goals outlined in her "Commission on the Future of Higher Education," Spellings outlined her plans for an overhaul of current pedagogical and institutional practices.
According to a U.S. Department of Education press release, the focus of Spellings' plan is to raise levels of "accessibility," "affordability" and "accountability" at American colleges and universities.
In the speech, Spellings called for an expansion of the No Child Left Behind Act to ninth through 12th grades, streamlining the financial aid process for college students, the building of an educational data network for students in higher education, a "matching of funds" for institutions and an improved accreditation system that emphasizes learning.
"There is an urgent need for change in America's higher education system," Spellings said in the speech.
Responding to Spellings, David Breneman, dean of the Curry School of Education, said he is largely supportive of the government's plan.
"On the substance of it, [Spellings] is trying to address something that is a genuine concern of this country," he said.
Breneman said the outcomeof the proposals will hinge on hotly contested issues of data privacy, institutional accountability and the plan's likelihood of success. Many people are concerned that the creation of a national database of educational information might make it easier for identify theft and general invasions of privacy to occur.
"I think the business of privacy is largely a red herring -- I think the whole thing with privacy is overblown," Breneman said.
Breneman said he believes the proposed agenda addresses the current problems faced by the education system but added he is unsure if regulatory committees will be able to implement the desired changes.
Travis Reindl, director of state policy analysis at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, said his office is "especially pleased that they focused on access and affordability. Public institutions have a responsibility to the public, and we fully believe this responsibility is expressed in her plan."
In the spring, Spellings will seek to meet with education and business policy makers about the difficulties faced by families applying to and paying for college.
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