EDUCATION PLAN AT A GLANCE

Here are some of the primary points in President Bush’s program to improve American education: There will be voluntary nationwide examinations in English, math, science, history and geography in the fourth, eighth and 12th grades. Colleges will be urged to use test results in admissions; employers will be urged to pay attention to them in hiring.

Higher teacher pay will be encouraged for outstanding teachers, those teaching core subjects, those “in dangerous or challenging settings” and mentor teachers training rookies.

There will be rewards for schools that make notable progress.

There will be subsidies for teacher and principal certification programs outside the usual channels.

Business leaders will raise at least $150 million for a nonprofit New American Schools Development Corporation to lay the groundwork for new schools.

Model schools will be opened in each of the congressional districts, in part with the help of $1-million federal grants for each one. Governors and the secretary of education will review the community-developed plans to determine who gets the federal help.

Academies will be set up with federal seed money, under sponsorship of state governors, to help teachers and school leaders overhaul their schools.