Answer to Question 1
ANSWER: The list of recommendations includes tougher standards for graduation; more courses in science, math, foreign language, and technology; a longer school day and school year; more homework; higher expectations for student achievement; and others as outlined in the chapter.
Answer to Question 2
ANSWER: Critics were calling for educational accountability, and a number of reports invoked statistics to document the decline of American education. These included information about achievement test scores, international comparisons of student achievement, and illiteracy rates.