Clark Montessori Junior High and High School "is showing what is possible when teachers and students work together as a community of learners," Secretary Duncan said at the Cincinnati school's commencement.

Montana, North Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin are among the states that will receive additional Recovery Act funds to support jobs and drive education reforms.

"A quality education system is the centerpiece of a country's economic development, and it can be the one thing that unites us as a world," Secretary Duncan said in remarks at a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Read about results from the Reading 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment for Grades 4 and 8.

Secretary Duncan issued a statement saluting administrators, union leadership, and teachers in Central Falls and Rhode Island for reaching an agreement on a plan to improve Central Falls High School.

On the 56th anniversary of this landmark ruling, Secretary Duncan reaffirmed the Obama Administration's commitment to "a high quality education for all children regardless of race or background."