International Series

A Nation at Risk 2008

25 Years Later

Special coverage marking the 25th anniversary of the landmark report A Nation at Risk is supported in part by a grant from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. For more stories, take a look at the previous anniversary collections: 20th | 10th | 5th.

Education Photo Gallery: A Nation At Risk - Global Strategies
Slovenia and Australia search for the means to improve student achievement—and their chances for success in the global arena.
April 21, 2009
International National Curriculum Inching Forward
After decades of trying to get common content in schools, the land Down Under appears to be on the verge of succeeding.
Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, April 21, 2009
7 min read
International Out-of School Classes Provide Edge
In South Korea, families spend about 10 percent of their incomes on private tutoring and other academic services.
Sean Cavanagh, April 21, 2009
6 min read
International Slovenia Sharpens Academic Prowess
Revamped content and teacher training has led to higher student scores on international exams.
Mary Ann Zehr, April 21, 2009
7 min read
International Global Strategies
Three countries, in their own ways, search for the means to improve student achievement—and their chances for success in the world arena.
April 21, 2009
1 min read
International International Exams Yield Less-Than-Clear Lessons
Differences in demographics, policies, and cultural norms among nations make it difficult to judge the value of the tests.
Sean Cavanagh & Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, April 21, 2009
10 min read
International Opinion Comparing Ourselves With the World
A tour of Education Week's commentary archives for perspectives on the findings of the landmark report, A Nation at Risk.
April 21, 2009
8 min read
Assessment Chat The Role of International Tests in U.S. Education
The mediocre performance of U.S. students on international exams, such as the PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS, has prompted concern among American policymakers in recent years.
April 20, 2009
Curriculum Opinion Our 21st-Century 'Risk'
Richard H. Hersh writes, "The debate is not just about the ends of education but, equally important, its means—curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment—and where the emphasis on content and skill acquisition and its measurement ought to be placed, given limited time and resources."
Richard H. Hersh, April 20, 2009
6 min read
School & District Management Opinion Why We're Still 'At Risk'
Ronald A. Wolk writes, "We will make real progress only when we realize that our problem in education is not one of performance but one of design."
Ronald A. Wolk, April 20, 2009
11 min read
School Choice & Charters Chat The Quality Challenge for Charter Schools
Our guests examined what efforts are under way to help improve charter quality, the merits of those initiatives, and what more can and should be done.
February 24, 2009
Education Yes Prep's Path to College
Angel Leon, who aims to be the first in his family to attend college, is a 10th grader at the North Central Campus of YES Prep Public Schools. This Houston-based network of charter schools sets high expectations for its students, including a requirement that each student win admission to at least one four-year college or university to earn a diploma. Part of special report, A Nation at Risk: 25 Years Later Video
February 24, 2009
Federal Quality Seen as Job One for Charters
A quarter-century after A Nation at Risk warned of a "rising tide of mediocrity," efforts are afoot to strengthen the growing charter sector.
February 23, 2009
11 min read
Federal Charters Seen as Lab for Report's Ideas on Teachers
Scholars are studying how staffing practices in charter and regular public schools diverge, and what impact those differences make.
Debra Viadero, February 23, 2009
7 min read