"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) "Standards Movement Gaining Steam": Duncan Announces Plan to Commit Up to $350 Million for Assessments Linked to Common Standards; (2) "Meaningful Measurement": Collection of Essays Published by the Alliance for Excellent Education Examines the Role of Assessments in Improving High School Education; (3) "The Second Derivative": Student Math Proficiency in States and Districts Fails to Measure up to Global Benchmark; and (4) "The Opportunity Equation": In Effort to Raise Math and Science Levels of American Students, Report Says that the Nation Must "Do School Differently." (Contains 1 footnote.)