The coming decade holds immense potential for dramatic improvement in US education and in the achievement of American children--provided that people seize the opportunities at hand and are not deterred by the obstacles to change. In this volume, members of the Hoover Institution's Koret Task Force on K-12 Education examine both the potential gains and the pitfalls that lie ahead, informed by where US education has been, what changes--some, but not all, for the better--have been made in recent years, and what's still required for the comprehensive overhaul that this vital enterprise so urgently needs. Following a Foreword by John Raisian and Introduction by Chester E. Finn Jr., the following chapters are included: (1) Rethinking Governance (Paul T. Hill); (2) Boosting Teacher Effectiveness (Eric A. Hanushek); (3) Facing the Union Challenge (Terry M. Moe); (4) Transforming via Technology (John E. Chubb); (5) Expanding the Options (Herbert J. Walberg); (6) Implementing Standards and Testing (Williamson M. Evers); (7) Holding Students to Account (Paul E. Peterson); (8) Strengthening the Curriculum (Tom Loveless); (9) Covering the Costs (Caroline M. Hoxby); (10) Relying on Evidence (Grover "Russ" Whitehurst); and (11) Educating Smart Kids, Too (Chester E. Finn Jr.).