A Nation at Risk Report and the Future of Education

The A Nation at Risk report was a wake-up call for the US education system, highlighting the alarming decline in academic achievement. Released in 1983, the report revealed that US students were falling behind their international peers in reading, writing, and mathematics.

The report's findings were based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP had been tracking student performance since 1969, and the results showed a disturbing trend of decline. In reading, for example, the average score for 17-year-olds had dropped by 10 points between 1969 and 1982.

The report's authors were particularly concerned about the lack of basic skills among US high school graduates. They found that nearly 23 million adults in the US lacked the basic skills to compete in the modern workforce. This was a staggering number, and it highlighted the need for fundamental changes in the way education was delivered in the US.

The Report was a wake-up call for the nation, issued by the National Commission on Excellence in Education in 1983. The Commission was formed by Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the US education system.

The report highlighted the decline of academic performance in the US, stating that the average high school graduate had a lower level of knowledge than students from other developed countries. This was a stark contrast to the expectations of the US education system.

The Commission identified four major areas of concern: curriculum content, teacher quality, student assessment, and educational resources. These areas were deemed essential for improving the overall quality of education in the US.

The report emphasized the need for more rigorous and relevant curriculum content, stating that the current curriculum was "woefully inadequate" to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. This led to a renewed focus on core subjects like mathematics, science, and English.

The Commission recommended that schools improve teacher quality by providing ongoing professional development and higher pay for experienced teachers. This was seen as crucial for attracting and retaining top talent in the education sector.

The report also called for more effective student assessment methods, including standardized tests and performance-based evaluations. This was intended to provide a more accurate picture of student knowledge and skills.

The Commission's recommendations were ambitious and far-reaching, aiming to raise the bar for US education and restore the nation's competitive edge.

The "A Nation at Risk" report still has a significant impact on education today. The report's warning that the United States was falling behind other countries in math and science education remains a pressing concern.

In 1983, the report stated that the country was "in danger of falling behind the rest of the world" in terms of education. This statement still holds true today, with many countries surpassing the US in education rankings.

The report's emphasis on the importance of education in preparing students for the workforce is still relevant. It highlighted the need for students to be "competent in mathematics and science" to succeed in the modern economy.

The report's warning about the decline of American education is still being felt today. The report stated that the country was "in danger of falling behind" due to a lack of emphasis on core subjects like math and science.

The report's call for education reform is still being implemented today. The US government has implemented various education reforms aimed at improving student outcomes and closing the achievement gap.

The report's emphasis on the importance of teacher quality is still a pressing concern. The report stated that "teachers are the most important single factor affecting student learning."

In 1990, the Secretary of Energy, James Watkins, commissioned the Sandia Laboratories to document the decline in SAT test scores with actual data, revealing contradictory data that showed subgroups of students increasing while overall average scores declined.

David Kearns, Deputy Secretary of Education, allegedly threatened the authors of the report, saying "You bury this or I'll bury you", although Diane Ravitch disputes this quote.

The Sandia Report critique received almost no attention, unlike the Nation at Risk report.

The Commission's recommendations were stunningly few that were actually enacted, and the missing ingredient for improving American schools isn't educational, but rather political.

Too often, state and local leaders have tried to enact reforms only to be stymied by organized special interests and political inertia.

The commission that produced the Nation at Risk report was dominated by administrators, with only one practicing teacher and no academic experts on education.

This lack of diverse perspectives likely contributed to the report's focus on lazy students and unaccountable teachers, rather than systemic issues like poverty, inequality, and racial discrimination.

In response to the National Commission on Excellence in Education Report, A Nation at Risk, librarians came together to form the project "Libraries and the Learning Society". This project aimed to help libraries respond to the report's findings.

The Department of Education Center for Libraries and Education Improvement organized a meeting in September 1983 to launch the project. The meeting brought together leaders in library and information science.

Four seminars were held in different United States cities to examine how public libraries, academic libraries, library and information science training institutions, and school library media centers could best respond to A Nation at Risk. These seminars focused on finding solutions to the report's concerns.

The fifth seminar dealt with ways in which libraries should come together to link their resources to help create a Learning Society. This seminar highlighted the importance of collaboration among libraries.