"Failing Grades"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-12-15/schools-federal-standards/51949126/1

The Center on Education Policy released a national report Thursday that reveals almost half of all public schools failed this year’s federal achievement standards.  Now, it’s up to state administrators to work with Congress to quickly lower the standards.

Based on federal testing only 52% of schools have made adequate academic progress.  However, based on new grading methods, 52% is a C+.

"Home Schooling"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-11-03/idaho-online-classes/51064824/1

On Thursday, Idaho’s Board of Education approved a measure requiring high school students to complete at least 2 credits online in order to graduate. Critics say more online courses cost teachers jobs, but those who fail to comply will be replaced with robots who will.

“Making History”

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/02/study-us-history-standards-in-most-schools-mediocre-to-awful/1

A review by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a national, non-profit think tank, says that education standards for U.S. history are only good enough to earn an A or B grade in 10 out of 49 states surveyed. State districts hope to improve with a plan inspired by their own students: cheating.

To improve their curricula, schools are scrambling to quickly find ways to make less history.

The quality of history education has dropped consistently since the 1980’s, right after the Civil War.