Education

Quality education is essential to a skilled and competitive workforce. Access to education, coupled with reliable, quality childcare is key for improving economic opportunities for all Americans.
Our education system is failing many students as shown by data that reveals two-thirds of our fourth and eighth graders are unable to read or do math at their grade level. And the United States ranks below a number of other countries in reading and math proficiency. Recognizing the importance of childcare as a key component of the education system is crucial to addressing the current challenges and ensuring that every child has the support they need to thrive.
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6th in Reading
Global Ranking for U.S. Students
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10th in Science
Global Ranking for U.S. Students
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26th in Math
Global Ranking for U.S. Students
Commerce Meets Classroom
Introducing Commerce Meets Classroom, a series from our K-12 education Senior Manager, Kyle Butler, featuring the business perspective on pressing education issues.

Across our nation’s talent pipeline, we explore the stories of employers investing in the workforce of today and tomorrow to close the skills gap.
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Programs and Initiatives
Latest Content
- Libbie Sonnier of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, and Timothy Magner of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, joined The Drumbeat to discuss the state of childcare in Louisiana and how partnerships with the business community are helping find childcare solutions.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released new research that examines the impact of data-driven accountability education policy over the last 20 years and sets the stage for concrete recommendations for the federal role in education.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released new research that examines the impact of data-driven accountability in education policy over the last 20 years and sets the stage for concrete recommendations for the federal role in education. The report is the result of a collective effort with the nation’s leading education experts to create the most comprehensive analysis of the landmark education policies of the past two decades, from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as part of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Future of Data in K-12 Education initiative.Over the last 20 years, the education industry has faced many new challenges — the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of Common Core, and the threat of school closures due to poor performance, under-enrollment, or lack of funding. While these challenges affect all schools, schools in some areas had more resources to adapt more quickly than others.At this very moment, women across the United States are sitting on million-dollar ideas, like a product that fills a niche or a service that solves a unique challenge. And increasingly, women are turning those ideas into entrepreneurship opportunities. Women accounted for 49% of business startups in 2021, a 28% jump from two years earlier.I realize that it can be difficult for companies based in big cities to understand the realities of everyday life in small-town America. But the stark truth is that compared with their suburban and urban counterparts, the 1.1 million rural families with young children face a multitude of challenges that impact their childcare outlook.Economist Abby McCloskey joins The Drumbeat to discuss the state of early childhood education policy, what employers need to know about childcare solutions, and what we can expect moving forward with childcare policy in a divided government.Looking back on 2022 fills me with pride and a sense of awe at all the team has accomplished in 12 short months. The Center for Education and Workforce at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation continues to conceive of and lead long-term systems change in education and workforce—the underpinnings of American competitiveness and prosperity.








