Duncan yesterday held a teleconference with the education officials of the CNMI, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Congratulations on the huge amount of progress that your districts have shown in terms of your students’ performance and improvement of the system, as a whole,” Duncan said.
The meeting allowed the territories’ school systems direct access to the nation’s top education official.
Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, her leadership team and Board of Education members participated in the meeting.
The latest PSS Stanford Achievement Test Tenth Edition results for all grade levels indicated improvements, and the high number of high school graduates pursuing college, enlisting in the military or entering careers caught Duncan’s attention.
“It takes a lot of effort to move forward and you [PSS] have shown exactly just that,” Duncan told Sablan.
The number of high school graduates entering college this coming new school year is at an all-time high, between 60 and 70 percent, based on exit surveys conducted by PSS, and a big number is enlisting in the military or pursuing other careers.
PSS also registered the highest number of graduating students in the last three years.
PSS said it has continuously implemented system-wide training and evaluation system for all its personnel in an effort to bring accountability and transparency to a higher level.
American Samoa acting Department of Education Director Jacinta Galea’i thanked Duncan “for listening to us.”
U.S. Virgin Islands Education Commissioner La Verne Terry said she was “excited for the opportunity” to talk with Duncan directly.
Sablan, for her part, told Duncan that PSS is applying for the federal Neighborhood Planning Grant, which totals $10 million and is spread for a number of years. The grant application is due on September 6.
The grant is designed to help address a school district’s need to improve classroom learning and ensue school and neighborhood safety. PSS is among the school districts applying for the initial half-a-million dollar one-year planning grant.
U.S. Assistant Education Secretary Carl Harris told Sablan and the other education officials of the territories: “You are doing a great job for the students you serve.”
