A nation still at risk

Abstract

Fifteen years ago, weaknesses of American education detailed in A Nation at Risk catalyzed a reform movement that was supposed to radically restructure nation's schools. A new, follow-up report says not much has changed. Fifteen years ago, National Commission on Excellence in Education declared United States a nation at risk. That distinguished citizens' panel admonished American people that the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a This stark warning was heard across land. A decade and a half later, risk posed by inadequate education has changed. Our nation today does not face imminent danger of economic decline or technological inferiority. Much about America is flourishing, at least for now, at least for a lot of people. Yet state of our children's education is still far, very far, from what it ought to be. Unfortunately, economic boom times have made many Americans indifferent to poor educational achievement. Too many express indifference, apathy, a shrug of shoulders. Despite continuing indicators of inadequacy, and risk that this poses to our future well-being, much of public shrugs and says, Whatever. The data are compelling. We learned in February that American 12th-graders scored near bottom on recent Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS): U.S. students placed 19th out of 21 developed nations in math and 16th out of 21 in science. Our advanced students did even worse, scoring dead last in physics. This evidence suggests that, compared to rest of industrialized world, our students lag seriously in critical subjects vital to our future. That's a national shame. Today's high-school seniors had not even started school when Excellence Commission's report was released. A whole generation of young Americans has passed through education system in years since. But many have passed through without learning what is needed. Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans have reached 12th grade without having learned to read at a basic level. More than 20 million have reached their senior year unable to do basic math. Almost 25 million have reached 12th grade not knowing essentials of U.S. history. And those are young people who complete their senior year. In same period, more than 6 million Americans dropped out of high school altogether. The numbers are even bleaker in minority communities. In 1996, 13 percent of all blacks aged 16 to 24 were not in school and did not hold a diploma. Seventeen percent of first-generation Hispanics had dropped out of high school, including a tragic 44 percent of Hispanic immigrants in this age group. This is another lost generation. For them risk is grave indeed. To be sure, there have been gains during past 15 years, many of them inspired by Excellence Commission's clarion call. Dropout rates declined and college attendance rose. More high-school students are enrolling in more challenging academic courses. With more students taking more courses and staying in school longer, it is indeed puzzling that student achievement has remained largely flat and that enrollment in remedial college courses has risen to unprecedented levels. The Risk Today Contrary to what so many seem to think, this is no time for complacency. The risk posed to tomorrow's well-being by sea of educational mediocrity that still engulfs us is acute. Large numbers of students remain at risk. Intellectually and morally, America's educational system is failing far too many people. Academically, we fall off a cliff somewhere in middle and upper grades. Internationally, U.S. youngsters hold their own at elementary level but falter in middle years and drop far behind in high school. We seem to be only country in world whose children fall farther behind longer they stay in school. …