At this point America’s standing on the world stage has been in decline for at least a few decades.
Cultural Marxism has infiltrated churches, corporations, and every level of government.
And now Condoleezza Rice just sounded the alarm on a major issue Americans have “hit the snooze button” on.
Not only failing in education but “as a society”
It’s been forty years since the National Commission on Excellence in Education (NCEE) published their report called “A Nation at Risk.”
The report was written to raise awareness about cultural decline in the United States, and the risk it posed to the country’s influence in the world.
Every year, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) issues the Nation’s Report Card to give a grade to the country’s education system as a whole.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said “we’ve got some really hard issues ahead of us, not only in education but as a society.”
She made the comments at the 2023 Reagan Institute Summit on Education while attendees reviewed the Nation’s Report Card, and what challenges the slipping test scores could mean for our nation.
Rice said that the NCEE report was a “wake up call,” but she’s afraid the country “hit the snooze button.”
The latest report from the NAEP shows that America is heading down a dark path in education.
Test scores drop to historic lows
The Nation’s Report Card indicates that the number of eight graders who understand basic civics has slipped to its lowest point in over three decades.
The average civics score in 2022 was 150, well below the score of 177 that the NAEP says shows proficiency in the subject.
The report card also showed a disturbing trend in the number of eight graders who have a basic understanding of history.
The average student scored a 258 on history, down from the 2014 high of 267.
It now sits just 6 points above what the NCEE considers a basic understanding, and 36 points below proficiency.
Both fourth graders and eighth graders also saw noticeable declines in reading and math skills.
Fourth grade students scored an average of 220 in reading for 2022, versus 227 in 2019.
The proficiency score for the reading category is 238 — putting fourth graders at an 18-point deficit.
While all these scores are important, it’s especially disturbing to see the civics scores dropping.
A nation is formed by people “acting together” not just by “thinking alike”
American Enterprise Institute (AEI) senior fellow Yuval Levin explained that the drop in civics scores will hamper America’s prosperity in the future.
He said that these students should have a solid understanding of civics, and that the nation’s method of governance “requires a certain type of person.”
Levin added that if citizens aren’t knowledgeable of the political system, they cannot be responsible citizens.
He said the civics problem will lead to further division of the country because it teaches students to respect the views and opinions of others.
According to Levin, “unity does not mean thinking alike; it means to act together.”
He said that acting together doesn’t come naturally and that the falling civics scores means they are failing to learn this basic concept.
US Political Daily will keep you updated on any developments to this ongoing story.
