As has become a morbid joke in the US, we are an ignorant country, and our high schools are particularly deplorable. In 2001, 57 percent of American high school seniors scored “below basic” on an exam of simple historical knowledge, while only 1 percent scored “advanced.” For example, 52 percent chose Italy, Germany or Japan over the Soviet Union as a US ally in World War II. They were similarly ignorant with respect to the content of the Constitution. For example, even though their parents underwent foreign and domestic turmoil to guarantee their freedom of expression, only 25 percent of contemporary college students could name a single right granted by the First Amendment. Furthermore, in a world that increasingly demands mathematical and scientific knowledge, children in the US tested far below average. In 2005, 46 percent of students could not reach a “basic” understanding of mathematics, while only 2 percent were deemed “advanced.” Furthermore, these statistics were verified on an international level; of 57 countries sampled, the US ranked 32, behind such booming economies as Lithuania and New Zealand. Only 42 percent of Americans accept the validity of evolution, and 20 percent believe in witches. In the field of education, the only thing that makes Americans exceptional is their ignorance. There are many differences between the nations that outperformed the US and the US itself, but one significant common denominator seemed to be that most high-performing countries have a high school exit examination. Accordingly, the US might do well to adopt this policy in order to improve its educational system.In March 2010, President Barack Obama attempted to solve the problem by reauthorizing No Child Left Behind (NCLB), altering the original legislation substantially. His predecessor, George W. Bush, originally signed the act into law on January 8, 2002. Its purpose was “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain high-quality education” and to create “accountability systems” against which teachers and administrators could be judged. This past year, President Obama recognized that by almost any measure, the act had failed. Specifically, he attacked NCLB’s system of “accountability,” which wreaked havoc on schools by depriving the most desperate schools of sorely needed money. Unfortunately, he did not focus on two even greater concerns. Even though the number of “proficient students” had increased, the objective quality of American education sank; and the vague standards of NCLB had encouraged every state to dumb down its definition of proficiency to meet the quota that the act required. Read More