Claudio Sanchez

In the second of two stories, high school students who are children of immigrants in Fremont, Calif., talk about cultural identity and the pressures to succeed academically. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

In Fremont, Calif., immigrant students are earning top grades, and their affluent parents are threatening to create their own school in order to keep standards high. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

Margaret Spellings is chosen to replace Rod Paige as secretary of education. She has been a key adviser to President Bush on education policy since his time as governor of Texas. NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports.

Sam Marsenison is 5 and poised to start kindergarten. His parents are just as anxious as he is. The first day of school promises to bring great excitement, joy and anxiety to families across the country. NPR's Claudio Sanchez follows Sam and his family in their countdown to kindergarten.

Under President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, funding for public schools is tied to dozens of new federal mandates. Though states have moved quickly to comply, the list of struggling schools continues to grow -- which may cost them millions in funding. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

A record number of college-bound high school graduates took the SAT last year. The College Board said average scores for math and reading either dropped very slightly or were the same as 2002. The board said the scores also again highlighted unequal access to quality education for blacks and Latinos, with whites and Asians more likely to have access to rigorous college prep courses. NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports.

Many teachers and legislators are pushing for reforms to the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act. Though many acknowledge the act has helped raise standards at public schools across the nation, critics charge its method for measuring success may be designed to ensure most schools end up failing. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

In Virginia, a 12-year-old boy stands accused of planning a shooting rampage on the last day of school. Officials at the boy's school say they had dreaded such a situation, but were not unprepared. NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports.

Since 1998, the federal E-Rate Program has spent billions of dollars to connect schools and libraries to the Internet. The FCC, which overseas the program, has found many companies are bilking the government out of millions of dollars. Congress is considering ways to stop the fraud, but some lawmakers warn the E-Rate program could be in jeopardy. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

President Bush had hoped the No Child Left Behind Act would help him counter the view that Democrats care more about public education than Republicans. But growing criticism of the law makes it unclear if the president's record on education will give him an edge against John Kerry. Bush's stance on education has polarized residents in West Virginia, a state that's up for grabs in the November presidential election despite its Democratic majority. NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports.