Joe Portnoy's profile

A Nation At Risk: 30 Years Later

Thirty years ago, A Nation at Risk was released to a surprised country. Suddenly, Americans woke up to learn that SAT scores were plummeting and children were learning a lot less than before. This report became a turning point in modern U.S. education history and marked the beginning of a new focus on excellence, achievement, and results.

Due in large part to this report, we now judge a school by whether its students are learning rather than how much money is going into it, what its programs look like, or its earnest intentions. Education reform today is serious about standards, quality, assessment, accountability, and benchmarking—by school, district, state, and nation.

Yet we still have many miles to traverse before we sleep. Our students still need to learn far more and our schools need to become far more effective.

To recall the impact of A Nation at Risk these past three decades and to reflect on what lies ahead, watch this short retrospective developed by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the American Enterprise Institute: A Nation at Risk: 30 Years Later.
Social Media poster. This poster was used on Facebook and Twitter to promote the film using the link to the Fordham Institute and American Enterprise Institute.
Trailers used on Twitter and Facebook to promote the film. The audience is very familiar with "A Nation At Risk" and I wanted to tease the participants in the film to create excitement around the short film. Trailer #1 includes Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett and Former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. Trailer #2 includes Thomas B. Fordham Institute president, Chester E. Finn, Jr. and author and education historian, Diane Ravitch.
A Nation At Risk: 30 Years Later
Published:

A Nation At Risk: 30 Years Later

Thirty years ago, A Nation at Risk was released to a surprised country. Suddenly, Americans woke up to learn that SAT scores were plummeting and Read More

Published: