"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) "Engineering Solutions to the National Crisis in Literacy": Alliance Brief Calls for Alignment Between Literacy Plans and Common Core State Standards; (2) "ESEA Briefing Book": New Fordham Report Identifies Ten "Big Issues" in ESEA Reauthorization; (3) "Education for Employment": New Report Focuses on Educational Challenges in the Arab World, Finds Similarities to U.S., but Recommends Vastly Different Solutions; (4) "Winning the Future": New White House Report Stresses Importance of Better Educational Outcomes for Latino Students to Nation's Future Success; and (5) "Plugged In": Report Offers Lessons Learned from a Latino-Serving, Workforce Development Program. (Contains 1 footnote.)