Education: C
America has made real progress in education over 250 years. More people are graduating high school and college than ever before. But test scores are falling, the student debt crisis is real, and the gap between what education costs and what it delivers has never been wider.
Part of Ida's America 250 series. Full scorecard at readida.com/american-dream-scorecard
THE GRADE: C
250-year arc: B. In 1776 most Americans had little or no formal education. Literacy rates were low. Public schools barely existed. Today nearly 90 percent of Americans graduate high school and more than a third have college degrees. That transformation is one of America's genuine achievements.
Last 50 years: C. College enrollment expanded dramatically. Student debt grew with it. A college degree became more necessary and more expensive at the same time.
Last 25 years: C. High school graduation rates reached record highs. Reading and math proficiency scores began declining. The cost of college tripled in real terms.
Last 10 years: D. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest learning loss in modern American history. Reading scores for 9-year-olds fell to their lowest level in 30 years. Math scores fell for the first time ever recorded. Recovery has been slow and uneven.
Last 5 years: D. Post-pandemic recovery in test scores has stalled. Student loan collections resumed after a four-year pause. 3.6 million borrowers have defaulted. School funding gaps between wealthy and low-income districts remain among the widest in the developed world.
THE 250-YEAR STORY
In 1776 education in America was a privilege, not a right. Wealthy families hired tutors or sent children to private academies. Most children, especially girls, enslaved Americans, and the poor, received little or no formal schooling. Literacy rates varied widely by region and class.
The common school movement of the 1830s and 1840s, led by reformers like Horace Mann, established the idea that a democratic republic required an educated citizenry and that public schools should be free and open to all. Massachusetts established the first state board of education in 1837. Other states followed.
The Morrill Land Grant Acts of 1862 and 1890, signed by Presidents Lincoln and Cleveland, created the network of public universities that educates millions of Americans today. The GI Bill of 1944, signed by President Roosevelt, sent 8 million veterans to college and created the American middle class. The Higher Education Act of 1965, signed by President Johnson, created federal student loans and grants that made college accessible to millions who could not otherwise afford it.
By the 1970s America had built the most expansive public education system in the world. High school graduation rates climbed every decade. College enrollment grew steadily. American universities became the envy of the world.
Then the costs started rising faster than the benefits.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS AND LEGISLATION THAT SHAPED THIS CATEGORY
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was signed by President Johnson in 1965, establishing federal funding for public schools serving low-income students. It has been reauthorized by every subsequent administration.
The Department of Education was established as a cabinet-level agency under President Carter in 1979.
The No Child Left Behind Act was signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, establishing mandatory standardized testing in public schools and accountability requirements for states receiving federal education funding. It was widely credited with increasing focus on measurable outcomes and widely criticized for narrowing curriculum and incentivizing teaching to the test.
The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed by President Obama in 2015, replacing No Child Left Behind and returning more education authority to states while maintaining federal accountability requirements.
The student loan program has been modified by every administration. President Biden paused student loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic and attempted broad student loan forgiveness, which the Supreme Court struck down in 2023. The Trump administration resumed collections and modified income-driven repayment plans.
The Biden administration's American Rescue Plan of 2021 directed approximately $122 billion to K-12 schools for COVID recovery. The deadline for spending those funds passed in September 2024. Early data suggests the investments produced modest gains that have not yet reversed the full scope of pandemic learning loss.
WHERE AMERICAN EDUCATION STANDS RIGHT NOW
The Nation's Report Card — the most comprehensive measure of American student achievement — confirmed in 2024 that reading and math scores for fourth and eighth graders remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The declines hit low-income students, students of color, and students in under-resourced schools hardest.
The high school graduation rate reached a record 87 percent in 2023, confirmed by the National Center for Education Statistics. That number represents genuine progress. It also masks significant gaps — graduation rates for Black students, Hispanic students, and students from low-income families remain below the national average.
The college access picture is complicated. More Americans have college degrees than at any point in history. The value of those degrees has declined relative to their cost. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York confirmed that approximately 40 percent of recent college graduates are working in jobs that do not require a college degree. The average student loan balance for borrowers is $37,717. 3.6 million borrowers have defaulted.
The United States spends more per student on K-12 education than almost any other developed nation. American 15-year-olds rank 26th in reading and 34th in math among OECD nations. The gap between what America spends and what American students achieve is one of the most documented puzzles in education policy.
WHAT WOULD CHANGE THE GRADE
The Education grade improves when pandemic learning loss is confirmed to be reversed — particularly for the students most affected. It improves when the cost of college grows at a rate comparable to inflation rather than multiples of it. It improves when student debt stops being a leading cause of financial distress for working-age Americans. It improves when the confirmed gap between high-spending and low-spending school districts narrows.
All of these are measurable. All of them have confirmed policy levers. The C grade reflects a system that has achieved remarkable things and is currently struggling to deliver on its core promise.
Sources: NAEP Nation's Report Card 2024 confirmed reading and math score declines · NCES confirmed 87 percent graduation rate 2023 · Federal Reserve Bank of New York confirmed 40 percent underemployment rate for recent graduates · College Board confirmed tripling of real college costs · Pew Research Center confirmed student debt statistics · CBO confirmed 3.6 million defaults · Congressional Record confirmed all legislative history
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