▁East in ▁made ▁class ▁size ▁reduction ▁her ▁top ▁priority . ▁Her ▁advoc acy ▁persu aded ▁the ▁governor ▁and ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁to ▁invest ▁$ 2 . 3 ▁billion ▁in ▁cutting ▁class ▁sizes . ▁K - 3 ▁class ▁sizes ▁have ▁been ▁cut ▁from ▁ 3 0 ▁students ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁students ▁in ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁all ▁school ▁districts ▁( over ▁ 8 6 , 0 0 0 ▁class rooms ). ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁decl ining ▁student ▁performance , ▁State ▁Super int endent ▁East in ▁led ▁in ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁high ▁state wide ▁academic ▁standards ▁in ▁math , ▁science , ▁English ▁language ▁arts , ▁and ▁social ▁studies ; ▁subsequently ▁standards ▁in ▁the ▁arts ▁were ▁adopted . ▁East in ▁also ▁implemented ▁a ▁new ▁state wide ▁test ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁new ▁system ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁account ability ▁of ▁every ▁school ▁and ▁district ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Super int endent ▁East in ▁launched ▁the ▁" Ch allenge ▁In iti ative ," ▁a ▁ground bre aking ▁reform ▁effort ▁to ▁raise ▁standards ▁and ▁account ability . ▁Fif ty - six ▁school ▁districts , ▁covering ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁students , ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁Challenge ▁and ▁agreed ▁to ▁set ▁high ▁standards ▁for ▁every ▁subject ▁area ▁in ▁all ▁grade ▁levels . ▁ ▁During ▁her ▁first ▁term , ▁East in ▁cut ▁administrative ▁waste ▁by ▁stream lin ing ▁and ▁modern izing ▁contract ing ▁procedures ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁and ▁by ▁standard