"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) Education Appropriations: U.S. Department of Education Would Receive Slight Funding Increase Under Senate Committee Bill; Final Action Not Expected Until After November Elections; (2) U.S. Department of Education Facing "Devasting" Spending Cuts in January 2013: Senators Plan Details Impact of Automatic Spending Cuts; (3) "A Framework for Advancing Career and Technical Education": Improving CTE Programs Are Critical to Transforming Nation's Secondary Schools, Says New Alliance Policy Brief; and (4) "Science in Action": NAEP Report Finds Students Lacking in Ability to Apply Science Knowledge in Real-Life Experiments.