National Commission on Excellence in Education

Last updated

The National Commission on Excellence in Education was created on August 26th, 1981 by Terrel Bell. It was created to present the 1983 report titled A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. It was chaired by David P. Gardner and included prominent members such as Nobel prize-winning chemist Glenn T. Seaborg.

It produced a short summary of its findings called The United States System of Education in which it gives a short history of education since colonial days and, after a Preface, gives an overall view on control and financing of education, organization and structure, statistical data and conclusions.

Background

In their 1983 report, A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform, the National Commission on Excellence in Education said "Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world." [1] : 5  [2]

In 1983, The New York Times published an article that cited a passage from the "Pursuit of Excellence: Education and the Future of America" by the Rockefeller Brothers' Fund's panel, "America at Mid-Century." [3]

The "excellence" movement of the mid-1980s, was inspired by the landmark report, "A Nation at Risk. [4] [5]

The article emphasized multiple key points, among them being that teachers have been frequently regarded as identical units of a factory assembly line in the education sector. Mentors regardless of competence teach the same subjects in the same grade, use one kind of textbook, deal with the same number of pupils, and receive equal salaries. This trend has not changed since 1958. The late John W. Gardner who used to be Education Secretary of former President Lyndon Johnson and afterwards Chairman of the Commission insisted that students with academic proficiency should take an additional three years each of mathematics, science, and one foreign language which did not happen.

The 36-page Nation at Risk Report criticized the state of schools in the United States and clamored for numerous reforms to rectify supposed flaws in the country's public education system at that time. The commentary described education in America as mediocre. There were few indications of assurance because of test scores that were declining at a rapid pace, low salaries of teachers, and substandard training programs for educators. The turnover rate of teachers became alarmingly high. Statistics showed that some 23 million American adults did not have sufficient reading and writing skills. This report gained plenty of attention from media. [6]

Related Research Articles

Education reform is the name given to the goal of changing public education. The meaning and education methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, the motivations for reform have not reflected the current needs of society. A consistent theme of reform includes the idea that large systematic changes to educational standards will produce social returns in citizens' health, wealth, and well-being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in the United States</span>

In the United States, education is provided in public and private schools and by individuals through homeschooling. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities. The bulk of the $1.3 trillion in funding comes from state and local governments, with federal funding accounting for about $260 billion in 2021 compared to around $200 billion in past years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Ravitch</span> American historian and educational policy analyst

Diane Silvers Ravitch is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. In 2010, she became "an activist on behalf of public schools". Her blog at DianeRavitch.net has received more than 36 million page views since she began blogging in 2012. Ravitch writes for the New York Review of Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Wise</span> American politician (born 1948)

Robert Ellsworth Wise Jr. is an American politician who served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Wise also served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2001. In 2005 Wise became the president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a nonprofit organization that focuses on reforming the nation's high schools. In 2015, North Carolina State University honored Wise with the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation's Friday Medal which recognizes significant, distinguished and enduring contributions to education through advocating innovation, advancing education and imparting inspiration.

The Association of College and Research Libraries defines information literacy as a "set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning". In the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' definition also makes reference to knowing both "when" and "why" information is needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Education Association</span> US teachers trade union

The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers. The NEA has just under 3 million members and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The NEA had a budget of more than $341 million for the 2012–2013 fiscal year. Becky Pringle is the NEA's current president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Federation of Teachers</span> Labor union for education workers

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America. The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John W. Gardner</span> American politician

John William Gardner was Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) under President Lyndon Johnson. He was a strong advocate for citizen participation and founded Common Cause; he became known as "the father of campaign finance reform".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrel Bell</span> American governmental official

Terrel Howard Bell was the secretary of education in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan. He was the second secretary of education, following Shirley Hufstedler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie Corporation of New York</span> American philanthropic fund

The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world.

<i>A Nation at Risk</i> 1983 report on U.S. education

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform is the 1983 report of the United States National Commission on Excellence in Education. Its publication is considered a landmark event in modern American educational history. Among other things, the report contributed to the ever-growing assertion that American schools were failing, and it touched off a wave of local, state, and federal reform efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Education Association</span>

The Florida Education Association (FEA) is a statewide federation of teacher and education workers' labor unions in the US state of Florida. Its 145,000 members make it the largest union in the state. It is a merged affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), and is a member of the AFL–CIO.

The Florida statewide teachers' strike of 1968 was a strike action in the US state of Florida in February and March 1968 by teachers and other education workers belonging to the Florida Education Association (FEA). The cause of the strike was under-funding of the state's educational system at a time when attendance was rising sharply, combined with low pay and benefits for teachers. The strike lasted from a few days in some school districts to three months in others. Although a special session of the Florida Legislature approved higher taxes to pay for more school funding, FEA members felt the funding hikes were not enough and voted to continue striking. No additional funding was forthcoming, however, and most local affiliates of the FEA settled their contracts and went back to work by the end of March.

The history of education in the United States covers the trends in formal education in America from the 17th century to the early 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Tucker</span>

Marc S. Tucker was the president and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy from 1988 until January 1, 2019.

David Milton Steiner is executive director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and professor of education at Johns Hopkins University. His previous appointments include New York State Commissioner of Education in the New York State Education Department; director of arts education at the National Endowment for the Arts; founding director of the City University of New York Institute for Education Policy at Roosevelt House and the Klara and Larry Silverstein Dean at the Hunter College School of Education; and member of the Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland Commission for Innovation and Excellence in Education. Steiner currently serves on the boards of the Core Knowledge Foundation and Relay Graduate School of Education. Most recently, he was appointed to the Practitioner Council at the Hoover Institute, Stanford University.

Ernest LeRoy Boyer was an American educator who most notably served as Chancellor of the State University of New York, United States Commissioner of Education, and President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Boyer was recipient of numerous awards, including over 140 honorary doctorates.

Kenneth Komoski was an educational advocate, nonprofit executive, and former teacher. He died November 15, 2017, aged 89. Komoski served as head of the Center for Programmed Instruction and the Educational Products Information Exchange Institute. In 1964, Life Magazine named him to their list of Young Leaders of the Big Breakthrough. The magazine noted that he "was among the first to explore the new field of education by teaching-machines, such as keyboard devices, microfilm, and computers". Several years later, Komoski coined the term "learner verification and revision" for formative evaluation and modification of instructional materials. His work in educational technology led the International Society for Performance Improvement to award him their Honorary Lifetime Member Award in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st century skills</span> Skills identified as being required for success in the 21st century

21st century skills comprise skills, abilities, and learning dispositions identified as requirements for success in 21st century society and workplaces by educators, business leaders, academics, and governmental agencies. This is part of an international movement focusing on the skills required for students to prepare for workplace success in a rapidly changing, digital society. Many of these skills are associated with deeper learning, which is based on mastering skills such as analytic reasoning, complex problem solving, and teamwork, which differ from traditional academic skills as these are not content knowledge-based.

Jean Emily Fairfax was an American educator, civil rights worker, community organizer, and philanthropist whose efforts have focused on achieving equity in education, especially for poor African Americans. She served as Director of Community Services of the NAACP from 1965 to 1984.

References

  1. ↑ A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform (PDF). National Commission on Excellence in Education (NCEE) (Report). Washington, DC. 1983.
  2. ↑ Hodge, Shannon T. (2007), "Editor's Review of Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce by the National Center on Education and the Economy", The Harvard Educational Review (HEPG), vol. 77, no. 4, retrieved March 1, 2020
  3. ↑ Hechinger, Fred M. (July 19, 1983). "About Education: a call from the past for excellence". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ Willie, Charles V. (1985). The Excellence Movement in Education and Lessons from History.
  5. ↑ Dougherty, Kevin James. (1994). The contradictory college : the conflicting origins, impacts, and futures of the community college. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN   0585062617. OCLC   42855557.
  6. ↑ "'A Nation at Risk' Turns 30: Where Did It Take Us? - NEA Today". NEA Today. 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.