(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today joined Des Moines North High School Principal Matthew Smith to outline their educational achievement goals.

In 1992, Iowa was a top performer on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation's report card because it is the only state-by-state comparison. Iowa eighth-graders were No. 1 in math, with an average score of 283. Iowa fourth-graders placed fifth in reading, with score of 225, but no state scored significantly higher.

By 2011, the most recent national test data, Iowa eighth-graders had fallen to 25^th in math, with a score of 285. Iowa fourth-graders had dropped to 29^th in reading with a score of 221.

The governor identified his first achievement target: For Iowa to score in the top 10 on national tests in fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math by 2019.

"National tests in reading and math are given every two years," said Branstad. "If the Legislature passes our education reform package, it would be fully implemented in 2017-18. The 2019 national tests would be our first opportunity to see how we are doing a few years into implementation."

Meanwhile, by 2011 many other states significantly improved their scores bypassing Iowa in the rankings. No. 1 Massachusetts, for example, in 2011 scored 299 in eighth-grade math, and No. 2 Minnesota scored 295. Third-place New Jersey scored 294.

By 2011, in fourth-grade reading, No. 1 Massachusetts scored 237, followed by second-place New Jersey and third-place Maryland each scoring 231.

Branstad also stressed the importance of Iowa's global competitiveness.

"Iowa eventually will need to benchmark not only against No. 1 Massachusetts but against academic stars like Singapore, Canada and Finland," said Branstad.

Attracting more top students into teaching is a focus of the governor and lieutenant governor's education reform plan. In the Iowa class of 2012, students who took the ACT who said they plan to become teachers scored lower than other test-takers. Here is the breakdown:

• Prospective teachers (820 students) had an average composite score of 20.8.
• For other test-takers (22,299), the average composite score was 22.2.

"Higher expectations for all students mean it's no longer reasonable to expect one principal in each building to provide all the instructional leadership needed," said Reynolds. "That's why we're calling for principal and teacher leadership teams to work together to do this."

11^th Grade Service Project Presentations - Tuesday, 2/12 - 1:00 p.m.

Community service projects, including a minimum of 15 hours of service, are completed by each 11^th grade student.  During these formal presentations, students explain how they applied academic learning to real human and community needs and how the experience not only benefitted others, but affected them personally.

7^th Grade Living Biography Performances - Thursday, 2/14 - 11:40 a.m.

Celebrated athletes, distinguished presidents, legendary musicians, and more - see them come to life on stage as students perform Living Biographies!

Academic Fair - Thursday, 2/14 - 6:00 p.m.

Students in grades 2-11 present academic projects on display in the gym - the culmination of months of research and preparation - prepare to be amazed! 

11^th Grade Service Projects

Student presentations: Tuesday, 2/12 - 1:00 p.m.

Café on Vine, Davenport

Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica

Imani! Dancers & Studio for Cultural Arts, Davenport

St. Augustine's Primary School, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Trinity Medical Center, Rock Island

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services, Quad Cities

7^th Grade Living Biographies

Performances for judging: Thursday, 2/14 - 11:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Elvis Presley

Eric Clapton

Bethany Hamilton

Anne Sullivan

Abraham Lincoln

Hershel Williams

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Dean Martin

Pat Miletich

Natalie Coughlin

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Marilyn Monroe

ROCKFORD, IL (02/07/2013)(readMedia)-- Jesse Cole a resident of Erie, IL, was named to the Dean's List at Rockford College.

Students attending Rockford College were named to the Dean's List for the fall 2012 semester who earned at least a 3.5 GPA with no grades below "C."

Rockford College's Fall 2012 Dean's List includes those students who meet all requirements at the time the list is compiled. Students who have incomplete coursework as of the date the list is compiled are not be included in the current List. This list should not be considered an official confirmation of award. Official confirmation will be recorded on students' transcripts.

Rockford College is a four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The College offers approximately 80 majors, minors and concentrations, including the adult accelerated degree completion program for a B.S. in Management Studies. Through its Graduate Studies department, degrees are extended to include the Master of Arts in Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Rockford College is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and one of only 81 colleges in the nation as a "College with a Conscience," Rockford College currently serves approximately 1,250 full-and part-time students.

Rockford College announced on October 2, 2012 that it will officially change to Rockford University effective July 1, 2013. For more information on the College's transition, visit: http://www.rockford.edu/?UniversityStatus.

ATLANTA, GA (02/06/2013)(readMedia)-- Sarah Dooley of Bettendorf, Iowa (52722) was named to the Dean's List of Emory College, the undergraduate, liberal arts college of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., for the 2012 fall semester.

Students must be in the top 20 percent of Emory College or have approximately a 3.85 grade point average or higher to be named to the Dean's List.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate experience, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. Emory encompasses nine academic divisions as well as the Carlos Museum, The Carter Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, Georgia's largest and most comprehensive health care system.