The Wonk Room

Restoring America’s Academic Competitive Edge

Our guest blogger is James Kvaal, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

America’s prosperity was built partly on its strong schools. For most of the last century, America led the world in educational achievement. Our academic edge drove the United States’ exceptional economic growth and low income inequality, according to Harvard professors Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz.

The rapid increases in schooling were impressive. In only 30 years — between 1910 and 1940 — the number of 18-year-olds with high school diplomas increased from 9 percent to 50 percent. And 30 years later, about half of American students were attending at least some college — leading the world.

But since the 1970s, the U.S. educational system has rested on its laurels, and we are losing ground. Educational achievement among young workers (between the ages of 25 and 34) has slipped to tenth in the world, according to new analysis from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

In part, that’s because tuition has grown by 439 percent over the past 25 years while family incomes have increased by only 147 percent, according to the Center. More resources are needed to keep tuition low and expand scholarships. The College Board makes a compelling case for financial aid reforms that could help more students earn their college degrees.

But there are broader problems as well. We also need to raise high school graduation rates, which average only about 73 percent by some estimates. Stronger academic preparation is needed, particularly in struggling urban schools. And we need to raise students’ aspirations and help them navigate the complicated college and financial aid systems.

One Response to “Restoring America’s Academic Competitive Edge”

1. albalovescholo Says:

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   while the suggestions made here are valid, a major ingredient is missing: content (coupled with high cultural expectations).

   back in the good ol’ days, students were taught subjects now reserved solely for university. as i learned through my 2 rounds of study abroad (Bourges, France, 2000 & 2002), what we call high school is called college in France, and the graduates are rated at the same intellectual level as the average US university sophomore.

   they study philosophy, for example–it is required, as are 2 foreign languages (English and one other–the foreign languages begin in what we call elementary school). they are all made to take a federally-mandated and standardized graduation exam, called the Baccalaureate (Bac for short)–ring any bells? a four-year degree in the US is called a baccalaureate (are you sick yet?) the English portion of the Bac takes days, as does the philosophy portion. our school-kids are given awards for failing, and the early focus is on teaching them that they are “SUPER!” for performing the most perfunctory of tasks.

   arts and sciences are interrelated, and very highly correlated with higher test scores. cutting music and drawing classes and adding more work on “how to take tests” is failing all of our kids. i was a substitute teacher at one of the better high schools in Houston. they use calculators in algebra–not advanced algebra, just the normal, average class–which i had in 7th grade, and WITHOUT a calculator, because you would be failed if they caught you using one. now they provide them in class–and before you mutter curses under your breath, YES it was the same school district i had attended. in fewer than 20 years they had changed policies that much. they had decided to include crutches.

   do you know the kids spoke of going to DeVry like it was a real educational pursuit? not ONE of those kids was talking about real university study, and the teachers encouraged it!

   our educational system is fundamentally flawed. the fix is to start all over. we should look to the 17 countries ranked more mathematically literate than we (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_mat_lit-education-mathematical-literacy), or to the 14 countries above us in 12th grade advanced science (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_gra_12_adv_stu_sci-grade-12-advanced-students-science), or the 13 countries more scientifically literate (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_sci_lit-education-scientific-literacy). perhaps it is related to the statistic that 14 countries have a higher percentage of 13-year-olds who come from families with more than 25 books in the household (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_stu_fro_hou_wit_mor_tha_25_boo_age_13-than-25-books-age-13).

   the problem is massive, and the best way to fix it is to be humble, admit we f*#@*d-up, and seek a new system incorporating the best qualities of the best better systems.

   humility–yeah, RIGHT; Americans do that as well as the average high school graduate writes.

   December 5th, 2008 at 2:29 am

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