"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Education Funding Bill: Bill Would Target 40 Percent of School Improvement Grants to Secondary Schools; (2) "Call for Action": Strengthening Teacher Human Capital System Is Key to Graduating All Students Prepared for College and Careers, Says Alliance Brief; (3) "The Linked Learning Approach": A California-Based Reform Model Provides Direction for Transforming Teacher Preparation; and (4) "The Black-White Achievement Gap": New Report Questions Why Progress Has Stalled in Closing the Achievement Gap.