Commentary

James HuntForeword

By James B. Hunt Jr.
Chairman, the National Center’s Board of Directors
"In their totality, the five editions of the national and state report cards constitute the most extensive assessment ever of the educational performance of American higher education. Our purpose in the Measuring Up series is to assist the nation and the states in improving higher education opportunity and effectiveness."
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Pat CallanThe 2008 National Report Card: Modest Improvements, Persistent Disparities, Eroding Global Competitiveness

By Patrick M. Callan
President, The National Center
"(O)ther nations are advancing more quickly than the United States; we continue to slip behind other countries in improving college opportunities for our residents. In addition, large disparities in higher education performance by race/ethnicity, by income, and by state limit our nation’s ability to advance the educational attainment of our workforce and citizenry—and thereby remain competitive globally."
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Dennis JonesThe Information Gap: Much Talk, Little Progress

By Dennis P. Jones
President of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems
"State leaders and the public need access to objective information to assess and improve higher education."
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Peter EwellStuck on Student Learning

By Peter T. Ewell
Vice President of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems
"Despite ... limited progress, however, an important dimension of assessing learning has been lost: the need for states and the nation to understand more about the “educational capital” of their population."
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David BrenemanFacing the Nation: The Role of College Leaders in Higher Education Policy

By David W. Breneman
University Professor and Director, University of Virginia
"As the country lurches toward recession....We have no choice but to focus intently on solving these economic problems, casting aside the behaviors that helped bring us to this critical moment."
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Prior years' commentary.