Nation at Risk

The article "Nation at Risk" is speaking to the growing concern that while the Nation had once been one that led the way in technological and scientific innovations, commerce and industry around the world, we are now being surpassed by other Nations, and our the success of the education system has been declining.
Some of the indicators of risk include that about 23 million adults in America are functionally illiterate; the average achievement of high school students on most standardized tests is now lower than it was when Sputnik was launched 26 years ago;
and the average tested achievement of students graduating from college is also lower. One useful quote from the article was one connecting what needs to happen in order to change the current situation: "Learning is the indispensable investment required for success in the "information age" we are entering." By educating the citizens and increasing such aspects like literacy, we can increase our success in schools, industry, and all other elements of the American life. The second article mostly talks about how to convey this message, and whether or not "Nation at Risk" was the best way to go about it. Maybe it was considered an overstatement, maybe we needed to make the changes it suggested, but ultimately it was deemed appropriate.

When reading about some of the indicators of risk, particularly with the tested achievement of students graduating from college being lower, I couldn't help but be reminded of my past experiences with high school graduates when I was younger. They all seemed so smart, so much more intelligent and scholarly than I ever was, and now I feel like I wasn't too far off. Graduating from college this year seems kind of scary to me in the sense that I don't feel excessively prepared for the world outside of college. On the subject of achievement tests, I have never quite excelled at these, and I have certainly not gotten better since being at college.
However, back to the main point of the article, I think that "Nation at Risk" said what needed to be said. Perhaps a different tone could have been used, but based on factual evidence and a base interpretation of it, this article simply showed people the problem and provided ways to assess it and alter its course.