A Broader, Bolder Approach seeks to improve societal and socioeconomic influences that impede children's success in school.

It is BBA's belief that:

Education policy in this nation has typically been crafted around the expectation that schools alone can offset the full impact of low socioeconomic status on learning. Schools can—and have—ameliorated some of the impact of social and economic disadvantage on achievement. Improving our schools, therefore, continues to be a vitally important strategy for promoting upward mobility and for working toward equal opportunity and overall educational excellence.

Evidence demonstrates, however, that achievement gaps based on socioeconomic status are present before children even begin formal schooling. Despite the impressive academic gains registered by some schools serving disadvantaged students, there is no evidence that school improvement strategies by themselves can close these gaps in a substantial, consistent, and sustainable manner.

Nevertheless, there is solid evidence that policies aimed directly at education-related social and economic disadvantages can improve school performance and student achievement. The persistent failure of policy makers to act on that evidence—in tandem with a school-improvement agenda—is a major reason why the association between social and economic disadvantage and low student achievement remains so strong.

BBA has 4 priorities:

Continue to pursue school improvement efforts.

Increase investment in developmentally appropriate and high-quality early childhood, pre-school, and kindergarten education.

Increase investment in health services.

Pay more attention to the time students spend out of school.

Go to http://boldapproach.org/statement.html and become a Co-Signer today!