Don't Know Much About History

By Perry Bacon Jr.

Congress and the White House, already working to reform the nation's failing schools, are training their sights on a loftier target: the ivory tower. That's because the Higher Education Act, which governs most federal student-aid programs, is up for renewal. With that in mind, congressional Republicans are considering amending the law to increase accountability of colleges. One proposal under discussion would mandate that students show improvement on standardized exams, much as the No Child Left Behind Act does for elementary and middle school students.

To highlight the need for reform, staff members on the House Education and Workforce Committee (HEWC) are trawling college campuses for horror stories of students from elite schools who can't name the President or solve the simplest math problems. Among the examples they have unearthed is a letter from a former AT&T manager, charging that an electrical-engineering major from Johns Hopkins hired by the company was "totally unprepared. He came to me asking what the symbols were on one of the blueprints. I thought he was kidding, but found he was serious." Committee members also point to a Penn State student who referred to the prestigious journalism award as the "Pullet Surprise." "U.S. students, parents and taxpayers are investing billions of dollars a year in higher education," says Dave Schnittger, communications director of the HEWC, which will hold a hearing on the issue next week. "Someone has to ask what kind of return they're getting." --By Perry Bacon Jr.