Narrowing the achievement gap by bringing all students to a baseline level of proficiency for the OECD (a PISA score of about 400) could imply GDP increases for the United States of USD 72 trillion, according to historical growth relationships (OECD, 2010b). Longitudinal studies have also demonstrated that student performance at school is a good indicator of subsequent successful education and labour-market pathways (OECD, 2010a). This is not to say that efforts should not be directed towards mitigating the short-term effects of the economic recession, but it is lo say that long-term issues should not be neglected.