What's Right with American Public Education?

Overview & Synopsis

Over the years, criticism of public education has given rise to reform and renewal. This paper describes what is right with education. The following positive developments have occurred within the last 2 decades: (1) increased student enrollment and retention; (2) improved literacy; (3) improved student performance on standardized tests; (4) a rise in enrollment at institutions of higher education; (5) high-quality, professional educators who provide a variety of services; (6) improved educational technology; and (7) widespread public satisfaction with the quality of education. Other improvements include an upgrading of curriculum, closer monitoring of student progress, enhancement of testing systems, increased emphasis on academics, higher graduation standards, and countless experimental models for instructional methods and school organization. Moreover, initiatives for improvement have arisen from new sources--teachers, parents, government officials, and members of the business community. (LMI)