This from a Huffington Post article - 2011 National Math, Reading Test Scores Show Sluggish Growth:

On the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, administered every two years, average scores in fourth and eighth-grade math increased slightly, gaining one point each on a 500-point scale since 2009 and continuing a trend of minimal increases since 2003. Fourth-grade reading scores remained stagnant, staying the same since 2007, and eighth-grade reading scores increased by one point since 2009 on the 500-point scale.

"It is not an enormous increase substantively in terms of what students can do," said Jack Buckley, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education arm that administers the exams.

This year's math scores are the highest to date since 1990, when the test was first administered. But the scores remain dismal: Only 40 percent of fourth graders and 35 percent of eighth-grade students are performing at or above a level defined as "proficient." In reading, despite average scores reaching a similar peak, only 34 percent of students in both grades were rated "proficient."

While the writer is a master of the understatement the article is missing one little fact - The Obama administration has increased Department of Education spending by 40% annually since taking office. If you consider the result of the extra $30 billion in annual spending is a .000667 times average increase in yearly testing scores from 2009-2011, I would say it's more likely a huge failure than a minimal increase.

In addition to the comment that these are the highest scores to date since 1990, the Lefty journalist can't help but put on even more positive spin with a quote from an "expert" (lipstick on a pig comes to my mind) -

"These results continue a trend of progress both in raising achievements and closing gaps," said Daria Hall, K-12 policy director for the think tank Education Trust. "The progress is far, far too slow."

..."We ought to as a country acknowledge what these results mean in terms of the hard work of educators, but not for a second think we can take our foot off the gas."

These results continue a trend of progress"...don't think for a second "we can take our foot off the gas"!?! I suspect this progressive think tanker is confusing pressing on the gas pedal with sucking gas or passing gas.

Not taking our foot off the gas is Lefty-speak for more spending. $85 billion is apparently not enough.

We don't need to just take our foot off the gas, we need to slam on the brakes. Obama has run the education car off the main road and is accelerating toward a waterfall with all our kids in the back seat.