Former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, who is now president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, writes in his book Raising the Grade, “The system that was designed for an earlier era has broken down under the strains of trying to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive society and rapidly changing global economy.”

Boosting the performance of minorities and special needs students was part of No Child’s original reasoning, said Jamie Fasteau, policy director for the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based education advocacy group.

A report released in April by the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based policy, research, and education advocacy organization, backs up Torres' statement. The study, based in part on U.S. Census Bureau figures, estimates that the typical dropout will earn an average of $10,000 less per year than someone who receives a high school diploma.

As policymakers continue to link U.S. students' academic success to the nation's competitive position in the global economy, education officials say the results show there is room for improvement in postsecondary preparedness. "A positive sign is that students' aspiration level to go to college is increasing as shown by the number of students who take these tests," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Big Picture schools have a history of success, and their focus on personalized learning and community involvement are key in retaining students, said Jamie Fasteau, director of policy for the nonprofit Alliance for Excellent Education, which advocates for at-risk students.

Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise was in national news again last week, reiterating his warning that America is being damaged by a school dropout crisis that hurts the economy and dooms young people to failure. As keynote speaker at the Greater Louisville High School Dropout Solutions Summit, Wise sounded alarms that he raised in his recent book, Raising the Grade.

On August 9, Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise appeared on C-SPAN"S Washington Journal show. Wise discussed the upcoming presidential election, the “missing middle,” and how international education systems differ from the American education system.

Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise was the keynote speaker at the recent Greater Louisville High School Dropout Solutions Summit. As president of the advocacy group Alliance for Excellent Education and author of ‘Raising the Grade: How High School Reform Can Save Our Youth and Our Nation,’ Wise comes with statistics — Kentucky ranks 33rd in the nation for high school graduation rates, and the U.S. is falling way behind other countries in college graduation rates — and ideas about how our communities and schools might reverse those trends.

The Alliance for Excellent Education, based in Washington, D.C., is stressing some appalling statistics in statements and a series of videos by its president, former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, during the Olympic Games.

Governor Bob Wise, the president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, appeared on Lou Dobbs Tonight. Wise discussed how well America's high school students stack up against their international peers--a conversation prompted by his series of videos that compare the performance of U.S. athletes at the Olympics against American academic performance in education. Wise also talked about his hopes that the videos will stimulate discussion about the importance of improving America's high schools and students' academic performance, while also bringing attention to his recently published book, Raising the Grade.