This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines the key to America's global competitiveness, focusing on a quality education. Following opening statements by Honorable Tom Harkin (Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) and Honorable Michael B. Enzi (U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming), the following senators provide statements: (1) Honorable Kay R. Hagan, U.S. Senator from the State of North Carolina; (2) Honorable Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from the State of New Mexico; and (3) Honorable Al Franken, U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota. The following witnesses provide prepared statements: (1) Jennifer Mann, Vice President, Human Resources, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina; (2) Charles Kolb, M.A., J.D., President of the Committee for Economic Development (CED), Washington, DC; (3) Eric A. Hanushek, Ph.D., Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, California; and (4) Richard Murnane, Ph.D., Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts.