Published: 04-23-08
On Anniversary of Critical National Education Report
AUSTIN - Today the Texas Association of Business (TAB) commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the monumental report A Nation at Risk by again calling on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide a new accountability system for state schools.
A Nation at Risk compiled by the National Commission on Excellence in Education in 1983 was a bold report that stated: “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today we might have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”
“After a quarter of a century mediocrity still is the standard by which Texas schoolchildren are measured” said TAB President Bill Hammond. “Unless we want our education system to remain static it is time for Texas schools to use a new measuring stick.”
Current testing standards specifically the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test allow students to pass the test even when three-fifths fail the exam.
Texas considers 97 percent of schools in the state to be “academically acceptable” or better. In order to be acceptable this is all that is required:
• Only 45 percent of students must pass the math section of the TAKS test.
• Only 40 percent must pass the science section.
• Only 65 percent of students are required to pass the reading writing and social studies portion of the test.
“As a result of this failed policy Texas high school graduates remain ill prepared for either college or the workforce” said Hammond.
Hammond also expressed concern over drop-out rates. “We challenge TEA to compile an honest assessment of the number of Texas children who stay in school. Further we urge students to earn a high school diploma” said Hammond. “A high school diploma now more than ever is critical to obtaining meaningful employment.
“The first step in creating a public education system that meets the needs of everyone involved is an honest diagnosis of where we stand” said Hammond. “Until then we can expect another 25 years of mediocrity.”
