Arizona Daily Star: U.S. public schools rate overall 'F,' report says

U.S. public schools rate overall 'F,' report says
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined with a prominent liberal think tank on Wednesday to warn of potential long-term damage to the U.S. economy caused by the failure of American public schools to properly educate students.
The chamber and the Center for American Progress issued a report card on the quality of education in all 50 states and concluded that public schools could not produce students ready for the work force.
The study blamed a downturn in the quality of teachers, low academic achievement by students and a dearth of national data using the same formula that would allow comparisons.
Thomas Donohue, president of the chamber, said the report indicates a "critical national urgency."
"What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy, without regard to political party, and the continued vitality of the American dream for every one of our children," Donohue said.
John Podesta, president of the center and former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, called it "unconscionable" that no state in the country had a majority of fourth- and eighth- graders who qualified as "proficient" in reading and math as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, know as the NAEP, an annual study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.
"A nation that purports to value human dignity, freedom and advancement for all cannot tolerate the status quo that leaves our children dramatically undereducated and unprepared for an increasingly competitive and volatile global economy," Podesta said.
The report collected no new data and relied mostly on the NAEP, which evaluates students at grades four, eight and 12. The report also evaluated state standards for graduation and scores of AP tests, which test college-level knowledge.
According to the report, only two-thirds of current high school freshmen will graduate in four years. The report also states that 40 percent of college students take at least one remedial course because their high school education was inadequate.
Podesta said that the danger in public schools falling behind in education was an inability to stay competitive with other countries. He cited a 2003 UNICEF report that ranked the U.S. 18th out of 24 nations in terms of overall effectiveness of education systems.
"By international standards, the U.S. spends far more than other nations on education, and has smaller class sizes, yet receives far less value in terms of" test scores, Podesta said.