30 years later, nation remains at educational risk

Thirty years ago, a report issued by President Ronald Reagan’s Education Department warned that U.S. students were falling behind their international rivals and said America’s economy would suffer if schools didn’t step up their game.

The report, called "A Nation at Risk," spooked the public, urged an overhaul of how and what children are taught and sparked the school reform movement.

But the warnings it issued three decades ago are still reverberating today, with 1 in 4 Americans failing to earn a high school degree on time and the U.S. lagging other countries in the percentage of young people who complete college.

By By Philip Elliott

Full Story: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-24/30-years-later-nation-remains-at-educational-risk