Education report card finds little improvement in schools

By Dawn Tamir
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America's education system has seen little improvement in the past decade, according to the latest annual report from Department of Education.

The report, "Condition of Education 2001," released Thursday, categorized 59 indicators about enrollment, outcomes, context and support for education.

"We are failing to close persistent achievement and attainment gaps, and we lag behind other developed nations in mathematics and science achievement," Education Secretary Rod Paige said at a news conference.

The report found that children whose parents didn't attend college were less likely to continue towards a college degree unless they were enrolled in a rigorous high school curriculum.

The report also found continuing gaps among racial groups, few recent improvements in performance, and lowered U.S. standings when compared internationally.

However, there were some positive findings: