So many of the things that parents want for their children — security, opportunity and success — have their roots in education.  When we talk about education, we’re talking about what kind of future we want for our children, and what kind of country we want to be.

Especially in these times of economic anxiety, we know that education is the surest way to achieve prosperity for individuals as well as for our nation. It’s time to throw open the doors of opportunity to all children.

We have a long way to go. Currently, just half of African American and Hispanic students graduate from high school on time.  A mere nine percent of low-income students earn a college degree by age 24.

Let that sink in for a moment. Only nine out of 100 children from poor families will earn a college degree before their mid-20s, compared to 75 out of 100 children from wealthier families. We can do better. And we will.

Six years ago, No Child Left Behind gave us the foundation to prepare every single student for college and the workforce. By requiring schools to measure student progress and publish results annually, the law is pinpointing where we need to focus efforts to improve.

No Child Left Behind is working. It’s also causing some discomfort. Now that we have a clear picture of the yawning achievement gaps that plague our schools, we should be uncomfortable.

To help parents and policymakers better understand the unique strengths and challenges of each state’s school system, I’m touring the nation, bringing along a new “dashboard” that shows how each state is doing in key education areas.

Since January, I’ve been to Florida, Oregon, Washington, California, Louisiana and Alabama, and I hope to visit about half of the 50 states by April.

The more data we have to guide us, the better able we are to put students ahead of politics. When we see that a program is working, we have an obligation to support it. For example, the Reading First program — which is based on decades of scientific research — is one of the most effective tools in our arsenal. I’m proud that the president’s budget restores funding for this program after congressional cuts.

But funding is only part of the solution. Teachers, parents, business leaders, policymakers, civil rights organizations and members of Congress have reached consensus on ways strengthen and improve No Child Left Behind. We must give educators better ways to chart student progress over time, the flexibility to improve struggling schools, and more accurate ways to measure graduation rates. And we must make sure students who need extra help can gain access to free tutoring.

The question is, will we have the courage to strengthen NCLB and provide a better future for our young people? Or not?

Spellings is the U.S. secretary of Education.