Trapped in mediocrity [electronic resource] : why our schools aren't world-class and what we can do about it / Katherine Baird.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A historical and comparative perspective on the United State's educational system -- Just how low are our educational standards? -- The consequences of low expectations on student effort -- Low standards compromise higher education's mission -- Reduced productivity and increased wage disparities -- Low standards harm those we think are helped -- The tyranny of too many voices or "too many cooks spoil the broth" -- Exit, voice and the "something for everyone" curriculum -- Soft America meets hard America: the perceived high costs and low benefits of high expectations -- Getting from here to there.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest, 2015. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest affiliated libraries.