Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes that the U.S. can improve its universal educational ranking by rewarding effective teaching and by developing better performance measures for students and teachers.

Gates told lawmakers that federal stimulus money should be used to increase educational innovation, improve accountability, and spread best practises.

American public school students have been lagging in comparison to students of other developed countries. Gates has been a long-time critic of education in America. He believes that philanthropy is the basis for a better educational system.

There have been many proposals on how to improve achievement standards but nothing has changed. It is not clear when or what path will be used to get schools back on track. Gates believes that one step in the right direction, is for lawmakers to require colleges and universities to publish graduation rates.

Then those institutions would be rewarded with funding based on the number of degrees granted, and not just students enrolled.

He also wants to see teachers rewarded for their effectiveness and not just seniority. He believes that data identifying the best instructors would be more likely to increase quality than by reducing class size.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent nearly $4 billion in eight years in order to improve America’s high schools and even offer award scholarships, primarily to low-income and minority students.

Bill Gates wants to see the U.S. graduation rate increase from 70 percent to 80 percent. Then he wants to see the number of low-income adults 26 years and younger, who get a degree or certificate beyond high school to double.

These may seem like lofty goals but America needs to take steps to improve education. Americans are and have been falling behind many nations in terms of education. Drastic actions need to be taken if American students are going to keep up with China, Korea, and many other nations.