Declining By Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Two decades ago the report known as "A Nation at Risk" sounded a national alarm: Our public schools were falling apart. Today, we are at even greater risk. Colleges and universities are succumbing to market-driven, bottom-line thinking, and must take responsibility for a serious erosion of quality in undergraduate education. Attainment of a college degree now no longer signifies any special achievement. "Higher" education's standards have been lowered. In Degrees of Mediocrity, a tie-in to an important PBS documentary, Tom Wolfe, Arthur Levine, Jim Fallows, Carol Schneider and others sound an alarm, offering a no-holds-barred examination of the causes of this nation-at-greater-risk phenomenon and provide suggestions for what we must do to improve a system so vital to the nation's future.

"I have never heard a single parent speculate about what value might be added by . . . four undergraduate years, other than the bachelor's degree itself . . . an essential punch on the ticket for starting off in any upscale career. The book before you is, to my knowledge, the first to confront the question head-on. All those boys and girls . . . do parents--does anybody--have any idea what happens to them in college?"--from the foreword by Tom Wolfe
"Anyone who cares deeply about American higher education will read this book and feel enlightened and enraged, delighted and despondent, encouraged and in despair. A 'must read' for those interested in both good news and bad, from higher education's influential insiders and jaded outsiders."--Lee S. Shulman, President, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
"The decline of our once-proud colleges and universities--well documented in this book--is the bitter fruit of our ever-more ineffective K-12 education. This book makes it clear that our nation is still at risk."--E. D. Hirsch, Jr., author of "Cultural Literacy" and "The Schools We Need"
Praise for Merrow's "Choosing Excellence"
"This [is an] outstanding assessment of the current state of the nation's schools..."Forecast" Since most children in America attend 'good enough' schools, this book's potential market is enormous, and the author's high profile will help."--"Publishers Weekly"
"No pre-service teacher should consider his or her professional education complete if it does not include regular viewings of The Merrow Report, the documentary series now airing on PBS and National Public Radio."--"Library Journal"
"Merrow aims to create a smarter consumer of schools....He succeeds in that he gives parents a framework for what they should be seeking and very practical hints on evaluating schools."--Karin Chenoweth, "Washington Post"
"This book points out that there's more to a school than its four walls and reputation, and more

Praise for Merrow's "Choosing Excellence"

I have never heard a single parent speculate about what value might be added by . . . four undergraduate years, other than the bachelor's degree itself . . . an essential punch on the ticket for starting off in any upscale career. The book before you is, to my knowledge, the first to confront the question head-on. All those boys and girls . . . do parents--does anybody--have any idea what happens to them in college? "from the foreword by Tom Wolfe"

Anyone who cares deeply about American higher education will read this book and feel enlightened and enraged, delighted and despondent, encouraged and in despair. A 'must read' for those interested in both good news and bad, from higher education's influential insiders and jaded outsiders. "Lee S. Shulman, President, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching"

The decline of our once-proud colleges and universities--well documented in this book--is the bitter fruit of our ever-more ineffective K-12 education. This book makes it clear that our nation is still at risk. "E. D. Hirsch, Jr., author of Cultural Literacy and The Schools We Need"

This [is an] outstanding assessment of the current state of the nation's schools..."Forecast" Since most children in America attend 'good enough' schools, this book's potential market is enormous, and the author's high profile will help. "Publishers Weekly on Choosing Excellence"

No pre-service teacher should consider his or her professional education complete if it does not include regular viewings of The Merrow Report, the documentary series now airing on PBS and National Public Radio. "Library Journal on Choosing Excellence"

Merrow aims to create a smarter consumer of schools....He succeeds in that he gives parents a framework for what they should be seeking and very practical hints on evaluating schools. "Karin Chenoweth, Washington Post on Choosing Excellence"

This book points out that there's more to a school than its four walls and reputation, and more people need to be aware of all the choices that are out there. "Scholastic on Choosing Excellence"

This single volume is an expansive reality check for anyone about to dump $20,000 for their daughter's private education unaware how much of that tuition is siphoned into projects that have zero effect on whether she becomes a first-rate writer, nurse or architect. "Northeast Breeze on Choosing Excellence""

"I have never heard a single parent speculate about what value might be added by . . . four undergraduate years, other than the bachelor's degree itself . . . an essential punch on the ticket for starting off in any upscale career. The book before you is, to my knowledge, the first to confront the question head-on. All those boys and girls . . . do parents--does anybody--have any idea what happens to them in college?" --from the foreword by Tom Wolfe

"Anyone who cares deeply about American higher education will read this book and feel enlightened and enraged, delighted and despondent, encouraged and in despair. A 'must read' for those interested in both good news and bad, from higher education's influential insiders and jaded outsiders." --Lee S. Shulman, President, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

"The decline of our once-proud colleges and universities--well documented in this book--is the bitter fruit of our ever-more ineffective K-12 education. This book makes it clear that our nation is still at risk." --E. D. Hirsch, Jr., author of Cultural Literacy and The Schools We Need

"This [is an] outstanding assessment of the current state of the nation's schools...Forecast Since most children in America attend 'good enough' schools, this book's potential market is enormous, and the author's high profile will help." --Publishers Weekly on Choosing Excellence

"No pre-service teacher should consider his or her professional education complete if it does not include regular viewings of The Merrow Report, the documentary series now airing on PBS and National Public Radio." --Library Journal on Choosing Excellence

"Merrow aims to create a smarter consumer of schools....He succeeds in that he gives parents a framework for what they should be seeking and very practical hints on evaluating schools." --Karin Chenoweth, Washington Post on Choosing Excellence

"This book points out that there's more to a school than its four walls and reputation, and more people need to be aware of all the choices that are out there." --Scholastic on Choosing Excellence

"This single volume is an expansive reality check for anyone about to dump $20,000 for their daughter's private education unaware how much of that tuition is siphoned into projects that have zero effect on whether she becomes a first-rate writer, nurse or architect." --Northeast Breeze on Choosing Excellence