On Wednesday, May 19, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to explore best practices and research on proven models that work to turn around chronically underperforming schools in communities across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 5,000 U.S. schools have been labeled as chronically low-achieving or underperforming.

This is a continuation of hearings the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.

On Tuesday, May 12, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how policies for addressing the high school dropout crisis and improving graduation rates can strengthen America’s economic competitiveness.

Nationally, only 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma. Approximately 10 percent of high schools in this country produce close to half of these dropouts. In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on lawmakers to address the dropout crisis.