PrintSeptember 6, 2010
The Schools Scandal
American spending on public education, adjusted for inflation, has more than doubled over the last three decades. What did taxpayers get for their money?The average math and reading scores of American 17-year-olds have not improved since the early 1970s, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term trend assessment.Twice the money. Zero progress.Yet students in other countries have been improving their test scores.The Program for International Student Assessment 2006 measured the math and science literacy of 15-year-olds in 29 countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results? American students placed in the bottom quarter in math and in the bottom third in science.U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "We are lagging the rest of the world, and we are lagging it in pretty substantial ways."The current public education system is not preparing Americans to succeed in the increasingly...(Read Full Article)
