So far, there has been really promising research showing that certain charter schools (look up the Knowledge is Power Program or K.I.P.P.) are extremely successful at improving student academic achievement when those students come from traditionally very underperforming schools.

Extended school days have been tried in regular public schools and charter schools with widespread success. When students are engaged in academic learning for longer periods of time, or even just constructive, non-academic activities, they are more likely to be connected to their schools and to succeed in school. Year-round schooling is the same idea.

A change in teachers' pay structures is well overdue. We all know that teachers have one of the most important professions in existence yet are paid a miniscule amount! If we increase the pay, we will increase the quality, productivity and retention of teachers. Furthermore, paying for performance would give teachers an incentive to achieve a certain level of success with their students rather than simply passing them no matter what. That way, fewer kids fall through the cracks.

There are some schools that are providing more extensive social services within the school in order to serve more of the students' needs within the school building. For example, the counselors are trained in dealing with the types of issues that youth from tough environments need help with, they have the ability and information to refer kids to community or goverment programs that might assist them, they have doctors or dentists on the campus so that students are assured those services (I might have made that up but that could be helpful!). These schools are showing mixed results but some very promising case studies.

Finally, students clearly need a new curriculum. All students should be learning computer proficiency in school including basic web design, coding, and general software use. This is essential for today's marketplace. Math and science need to be emphasized a lot more if U.S. citizens want to compete with other countries for jobs. Many students today are graduating without the ability to write a basic letter or essay - this is unacceptable for participating in daily life!

These are some promising policies that have popped up on my radar. What concrete ideas do you have for improving public education?

Stacy Tolos is a Junior at Vanderbilt University. She is a fellow with Young People For, a project of People for the American Way, and has worked with Idealist.org, Ashoka, and other leading non-profits.