Not unlike the federal bailout money for Detroit's automakers, the economic stimulus money targeted for education comes with strings attached. And the leverage that those strings provide is expected to give the federal government the power to improve education standards, student outcomes and teacher quality across the nation.

The New York Times reported last week that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has told governors that he wants detailed information from them before they can qualify for the second helping of federal stimulus money targeted for education.

The first round of federal money for education, amounting to about $44 billion, is being made available to schools immediately. A second phase of funding, however, amounting to about $54 billion, comes with strings attached.

The Times article notes that some, maybe most, governors will have a problem with Duncan's requirements for receiving phase-two money. That's because Duncan is demanding detailed performance data much of which could reveal embarrassing information before the second phase of money is released.

The Times article suggests that the information Duncan wants is expected to reveal that most states have dumbed down academic testing so that their students' test scores are higher than when those same students take more rigorous tests administered by the federal Department of Education.

As evidence that dumbed-down tests and grade inflation are rampant across the country, the Times article noted that millions of high school graduates are being forced to enroll in remedial courses when they enter college. That fact, which was documented recently in Pennsylvania, is a clear indication that many public high schools are failing not only the students, but also the taxpayers funding the system.

The Times article also notes that the education data to be provided by the 50 governors are expected to show that most states have such a meaningless system of evaluating teachers that 99 percent of all teachers will be ranked as outstanding. Clearly, that's not realistic.

In teaching, as in any other profession, people have a range of skills and effectiveness. And just as it's true that not all accountants or all lawyers are excellent not all teachers are excellent. To suggest otherwise damages the credibility of state education departments, school districts and teachers unions.

For years, there has been speculation that state governments have dumbed down tests to make their students and teachers look better.

There also is solid evidence that states play games with their graduation figures to hide shockingly high dropout rates.

If Duncan's inquiries reveal the truth, and explode the notion that public schools are doing a uniformly good job, he could be taking a first step toward raising talent in the classroom something President Barack Obama has pledged to do.

And properly identifying teacher talent could lead to merit pay for the most outstanding teachers, something else Obama has pledged to do.

And with merit pay for the best teachers as well as an exit path for the least-effective teachers something else Obama has promised, the quality of work done in the nation's classrooms, will improve.

Obama has listed energy, health care and education as the pillars of his ambitious reform agenda. It's encouraging to see Duncan taking early action that could lead to the kind of education reforms that are long overdue.