One Nation Under Taught

Book excerpt: Encourage students to fall in love with learning again by giving them the tools they need to succeed. America has been steadily sliding in global education rankings for decades. In particular, our students are increasingly unable to compete globally in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), in 2010 only 26 percent of high school seniors in the U.S. scored at or above proficient level in math. Another 36 percent were failing. Only 3 percent scored at an advanced level in math, and only 1 percent scored at an advanced level in science. The reason for this decline? These subjects are often poorly presented or badly taught, leading to students K-12 struggling to connect with the content. One Nation Under Taught offers a clear solution, providing a blueprint for helping students thrive in STEM subjects, and giving them the tools needed to succeed and go on for further study in these fields. The book challenges our whole way of thinking about education, and encourages educators and policy-makers at all levels to work together to make our schools places that promote curiosity and inspire a love of learning. If we do not change course, we will set our students and our country on the path to a lifetime of poverty. But if we can implement the reforms Dr. Bertram suggests, we can achieve long-lasting prosperity for our children and our nation as a whole.