In addition to the challenge to be excellent, American schools have been facing novel problems. They
must (51)______ with an influx of immigrant children, many of whom speak little or no English.
They must respond to demands (52)______ the curriculum reflect the various cultures of all children.
Schools must make sure that students develop (53)______ skills for the job market, and they must
consider the needs of nontraditional students, such as teenage mothers.
Schools are (54)______ these problems in ways that reflect the diversity of the US educational
system. They are hiring or training large numbers of teachers of English (55)______ a second
language and, in some communities, setting up bilingual schools. They are opening (56)______ the
traditional European-centered curriculum to embrace material from African, Asian, and other
cultures.
Schools are also teaching cognitive skills to the (57)______ 40 percent of American students who
do not go on to higher education. In the (58)______ of a recent report by the Commission on
Achieving Necessary Skills, “A strong back, the willingness to work, and a high school diploma were
once all that was necessary to (59)______ a start in America. They are no longer. A well-developed
mind, a continued willingness to learn and the ability to put knowledge to work are the new keys
(60)______ the future of our young people, the success of our business, and the economic well-being
of the nation.