Changing demographics, a changing economy and declining levels of literacy,
these are the elements of what is being called "<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s Perfect Storm," a
paper written by ETS researchers and issued by its Policy Information
Center. Here is an excerpt from the ETS web site at www.ets.org:
A report from ETS's <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Policy Information Center</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s Perfect Storm:
Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future, looks at the convergence of three
powerful sociological and economical forces that are changing our nation's
future:
* substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math)
* seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps)
* sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills)
There is little chance that economic opportunities will improve among key
segments of our population if we follow our current path. To date,
educational reform has not been sufficient to solve the problem. National
test results show no evidence of improvement over the last 20 years. Scores
are flat and achievement gaps persist. Hope for a better life - with decent
jobs and livable wages - will vanish unless we act now.
As some of you know, I worked at ETS for several years. I know the
researchers who prepared this report; they are first-rate scholars and
serious thinkers. Their report ties directly to a longstanding concern of
mine: the disappearance of the American middle class.
I think list members are well served by downloading and reading this report.
You can obtain it in .pdf format by going to the ETS web site and clicking
on the link to the report.
Regards,
Fred Nickols
nickols@att.net
www.skullworks.com