“Hey! Teacher!”: American Education’s Failing Grade

Good morning:

Today, the Manhattan Institute published a new issue brief on the recently released Nation’s Report Card, the gold standard assessment for measuring American students’ reading and math proficiency.

Unfortunately, the 2024 scores reveal that American schoolchildren lost their luster decades ago. Only about a third of fourth- and eighth-grade students are proficient in reading or mathematics. Education scholar Jennifer Weber analyzes the results and offers four policy recommendations rooted in academic accountability for students, schools, and educators to turn these essential scores around.

Elementary and middle school students are not the only ones to be concerned about. In the Wall Street Journal, senior fellow Jason L. Riley warns that empirical studies on the political leanings of academics prove that conservative professors are vanishing from college campuses. Too many of the leftist professors who remain are happy to indulge in student indoctrination and fan the flames of campus protests.

Perhaps students who wish to truly serve their communities should look to state schools, not elite ones. Senior fellow Andy Smarick writes in Education Next that a significant number of graduates from flagship public universities work in influential roles in politics, law, public service, and think tanks. In fact, flagship graduates outnumber elite-school alums in many fields, especially state government. 

Private universities may soon feel a financial squeeze if Congress raises the tax on university endowments, which lawmakers are considering in the budget reconciliation process. Proponents of the policy argue that the sizable endowments of elite colleges should be taxed—but those schools will not be the only ones affected. In City Journal, Hillsdale College president Larry Arnn warns that such a tax penalizes self-sufficient institutions that decline federal money and rely on private donations. By contrast, it leaves untouched institutions sustained by taxpayers.

In another City Journal article of note, fellow Colin Wright dives into the results of a new Department of Health and Human Services report, “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices.” As Wright explains, the 400-page report provides a much-needed “comprehensive and sober reevaluation of the science, ethics, and clinical practices in pediatric gender medicine.” Hopefully, the report will lead to a new evidence-based consensus for pediatric care.

Finally, check out a new video featuring MI’s executive director of external affairs, Jesse Arm, on the lack of response to the firebombing attack that targeted Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Arm proposes three actions Shapiro should take to make Pennsylvania safer and, importantly, to bring moral clarity to his constituents and the Democratic party.

Continue reading for all these insights and more.

Kelsey Bloom

Editorial Director

The “Nation’s Report Card” Is Out: Here’s What the Results Tell Us About America’s Schools

By Jennifer Weber | Manhattan Institute

The recently released 2024 Nation’s Report Card should be a wake-up call to educators and policymakers: American students are in the midst of a long-term crisis in education. Whatever the system is doing, it is clearly failing. 

Despite increased funding and numerous federal reforms, student achievement in the U.S. has stagnated or declined since the 1990s. Now, just 30–31% of fourth- and eighth-grade students are proficient in reading, and just 28% (eighth grade) to 39% (fourth grade) are proficient in math.

The steep declines in ability are not uniform across students and schools. Urban districts and historically disadvantaged students experienced the steepest declines. Charter schools showed more stability than traditional schools, and states with collective bargaining laws saw larger proficiency drops than those without such laws.

A new Manhattan Institute issue brief from Jennifer Weber analyzes the results and finds that accountability-focused education policies—like the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act—initially drove improvements in student proficiency, but subsequent reforms under Common Core and the Every Student Succeeds Act coincided with declining scores. Weber makes four recommendations to reverse this troubling trend.

By Jason Riley | Wall Street Journal

“Columbia University is being commended for its response to anti-Israel vandals who last week took over a library, defaced school property—“Columbia will burn 4 the martyrs”—and wounded two public-safety officers. … Schools can drop charges and quietly reverse disciplinary actions, as they’ve done in the past, which is one reason these disruptions have continued. It’s clear that the troublemakers don’t take the administration’s warnings seriously.  …

“It’s difficult to fathom such behavior being tolerated in other settings. Could unhappy Costco customers take over a store, intimidate employees and other customers, lock managers in their offices, damage inventory, scribble calls to violence on the walls, and then walk away without paying the consequences? Yet unlawful demonstrations are common on campuses nationwide, even after repeated promises by administrators to crack down on such lawlessness and protect the rights of students who are in school to get an education.”

The Surprising Role of Public Universities in Forging America’s Leaders

By Andy Smarick | Education Next

“Public universities, especially flagships, play a major role in the formation of American leaders. …

“Across the public offices, the same three themes held, whether I looked at undergraduate or graduate education. First, these leaders were likelier to have attended public institutions rather than private ones. Second, they were likelier to have studied in the states they served than in other states; that is, they didn’t need to seek schooling far from home in order to excel. Third, they were likelier to have gone to public flagship universities than Ivy-plus schools. …

“Populism and other anti-institutional movements are built on the public’s view that their leaders are distant and unfamiliar with, even uncaring about, people’s day-to-day lives. Resentment builds when we sense that those in charge are not like us. Americans would benefit from knowing that, contrary to the dominant narrative, non-elite graduates already hold many positions of authority and respect.”

Related: 

A Long Overdue Return to Reality in Pediatric Gender Medicine

By Colin Wright | City Journal

A Tax on Independence

By Larry P. Arnn | City Journal

Manhattan Institute Heads to Sun Valley, Idaho

In collaboration with the Sun Valley Policy Forum (SVPF), several luminaries from the Manhattan Institute will speak at this year’s SVPF Summer Institute, on July 1st and 2nd. This two-day conference retreat will be held in the premier mountain town of Sun Valley, Idaho. Reihan Salam, Manhattan Institute President, Heather Mac Donald, Thomas W. Smith Fellow and Contributing Editor of City Journal, and Senior Fellows Jason Riley and Abigail Shrier, will be featured in the programming, along with other notable thought leaders.

As a benefit to MI Weekly readers, Reserve ticket bundle registrations will be upgraded to the Bronze pass level, which includes access to a private cocktail party. For more information on the program go here, to register with MI benefits go here.

For more information and media requests, please contact 

communications@manhattan.institute.

Are you interested in supporting the Manhattan Institute’s public-interest research and journalism? As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations in support of MI and its scholars’ work are fully tax-deductible as provided by law.

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