Washington View

Abstract

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is leaving after seven years. His legacy is likely to include important policy gains, including a focus on higher standard that may have helped raise graduation rates in recent years, and some missteps as well, such as his ill-timed, headlong approach to using high-stakes tests in teacher evaluations for the purpose of improving teaching. Still he leaves at a time when the federal role in education has not been fully and clearly worked out.