Movie: Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Top 2 Billed Cast

John Merrow
John Merrow

Self - Host

Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer

Self

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    Debunking commonly held notions about the rite of passage known as the college experience, this PBS documentary follows 30 students and their teachers along the path of higher education, from admission to graduation, and exposes the disappointment, disorientation and deflation many students feel -- in both public and private schools. This revealing study also addresses the quality and readiness of America's future work force.

  • Release Date

    2005-09-08

  • Average

    0

  • Rating:

    0.0 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
70%

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster(en)

2013-07-19

A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.

Downloaded
65%

Downloaded(en)

2013-06-20

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

The Class of ‘92
71%

The Class of ‘92(en)

2013-12-01

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Listen to Me Marlon
75%

Listen to Me Marlon(en)

2015-07-29

With exclusive access to his extraordinary unseen and unheard personal archive including hundreds of hours of audio recorded over the course of his life, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career as an actor and his extraordinary life away from the stage and screen with Brando himself as your guide, the film will fully explore the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely from Marlon's perspective, entirely in his own voice. No talking heads, no interviewees, just Brando on Brando and life.

More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead
74%

More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead(en)

2011-10-18

Retrospective documentary about the making of the horror cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead."

No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad
84%

No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad(en)

2013-11-26

A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.

Seduced and Abandoned
62%

Seduced and Abandoned(en)

2013-05-20

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

Western Stars
70%

Western Stars(en)

2019-10-25

The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century
65%

Capital in the Twenty-First Century(en)

2019-09-12

Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

John Candy: I Like Me
79%

John Candy: I Like Me(en)

2025-09-04

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

I Am Heath Ledger
74%

I Am Heath Ledger(en)

2017-04-23

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Champs
66%

Champs(en)

2015-03-13

A documentary about the sport of boxing, as seen through the eyes of champions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins.

Looking for Richard
68%

Looking for Richard(en)

1996-10-11

Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."

David Byrne's American Utopia
76%

David Byrne's American Utopia(en)

2020-09-10

A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.

The Walking Dead: The Return
73%

The Walking Dead: The Return(en)

2024-02-15

Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.

Marvel's Behind the Mask
70%

Marvel's Behind the Mask(en)

2021-02-12

A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.

Public Speaking
70%

Public Speaking(en)

2011-02-23

Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.

Happiness Continues
78%

Happiness Continues(en)

2020-04-23

A live concert experience and exclusive look into life on the road with The Jonas Brothers during their Happiness Begins concert tour.

Directed by John Ford
69%

Directed by John Ford(en)

1971-09-06

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
64%

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library(en)

2017-09-13

A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

Similar Movies

The Whole Gritty City
80%

The Whole Gritty City(en)

2013-10-12

Young members of 3 New Orleans school marching bands grow up in America's most musical city, and one of its most dangerous. Their band directors get them ready to perform in the Mardi Gras parades, and teach them to succeed and to survive.

Voices of Muslim Women from the US South
0%

Voices of Muslim Women from the US South(en)

2015-12-10

When one thinks of the American Deep South, the image of veiled Muslim students strolling the University of Alabama campus is the last thing that comes to mind. VOICES OF MUSLIM WOMEN FROM THE US SOUTH is a documentary that explores the Muslim culture through the lens of five University of Alabama Muslim students. The film tackles how Muslim women carve a space for self-expression in the Deep South and how they negotiate their identities in a predominantly Christian society that often has unflattering views about Islam and Muslims. Through interviews with students and faculty at Alabama, this film examines representations and issues of agency by asking: How do Muslim female students carve a space in a culture that thinks of Muslims as terrorists and Muslim women as backward?

First Case, Second Case
68%

First Case, Second Case(fa)

1979-02-01

A documentary about a teacher who sends a group of pupils out of the classroom when one of them does not own up to talking behind the master's back.

Waiting for "Superman"
69%

Waiting for "Superman"(en)

2010-09-24

Gripping, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful, Waiting for Superman is an impassioned indictment of the American school system from An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim.

Maestras Voluntarias
0%

Maestras Voluntarias(es)

2022-04-22

Ana Deborah Mola and Belkis Lescaille were among the first young teachers who started pilot programs around the island of Cuba in 1960, laying foundation for the massive National Literacy Campaign that would take place the following year.

On ne naît pas féministe
0%

On ne naît pas féministe(fr)

2020-07-21

Discovering your womanhood at 33 when you're a feminist is like exploring a new continent as an adventurer. It sparks a desire to embark on a journey, to understand the world around us, to search for ourselves, over and over again. To engage in the new sexual revolution and trace the roots of sexism and gender, questioning whether sexual education in France can prevent future generations from the patriarchy. But are we ready to deconstruct everything?

Bitter Sweet Ballad
0%

Bitter Sweet Ballad(zh)

2025-06-25

This is a story about youth with music. It all happens at the Dandelion School, Beijing’s first middle school specifically established for the children of migrant workers. Every year when new pupils arrive, Ms. Yuan Xiaoyan, who has worked in the school choir for eight years, would choose a group of music-loving first-years with solid musical foundations to join the choir. A new group of children join the choir while those who have advanced to the second year have to discuss with their families their future choices. For choir members, their music career in middle school will eventually stop due to the pressure of high school entrance examinations and the inevitable parting. But along this journey accompanied by music, they have been savoring the joys and sorrows of their youth, burying them deep in their hearts, and transforming them into growth-promoting nutrients.

Animated Hero Classics: Louis Pasteur
0%

Animated Hero Classics: Louis Pasteur(en)

1995-06-01

The great French scientist, struggling with his own limitations from a stroke, is not deterred by scientific criticism nor failed experiments. Pasteur had the courage to look into the unseen world and his perfected vaccines are his gifts to mankind.

Backpack Full of Cash
0%

Backpack Full of Cash(en)

2016-10-22

Documentary warning about the decline of American public schools as they become more and more privatized.

School desks in the desert
0%

School desks in the desert(es)

2010-01-01

A nine-year old girl, Naha, who in day-to-day life studies primary education en Wilaya de Smara is the point of departure for this documentary. Through the her family life, teachers, those responsible for Sahrawi education and NGOS, we understand the education system in the camps causing us to be in awe of the patience of the Sahrawi people, refugees for 35 years, holding out hope for a definitive solution to the conflict. This documentary intends to introduce the viewer to the situation of the Sahrawi people in the camps through one of the most basic needs for the development of a community: chidren's education. Education in the Sahrawi refugee camps is supported by women being those that develop and strengthen the task of educating in schools.

The mirror bird
0%

The mirror bird(es)

2010-01-01

Bubisher, as well as being 'the bird of luck', is a word loaded with literary meaning in Spanish in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf. Seeing the way in which two cultures interact through small stories and tales can is striking and so is the contrast between the resilience of the young female generations and the realities of life in the desert. This documentary paints a picture of a generation of young female Sahrawis.

Pathway Into Light
60%

Pathway Into Light(en)

1952-03-04

A documentary short celebrating the life of Louis Braille, his invention of the writing system named after him, and the legacy he has left behind.

Rise Above the Mark
90%

Rise Above the Mark(en)

2012-12-12

The purpose of Rise Above the Mark, narrated by Peter Coyote, is to educate the general public about the “corporate takeover” of Indiana public schools and what parents, community members and educators can do to protect their local public schools. Legislators are calling the shots and putting public schools in an ever-shrinking box. WLCSC Board of School Trustees and Superintendent of Schools, Rocky Killion, want to secure resources and legislative relief necessary to achieve the school district’s mission of creating a world-class educational system for all children. The school district’s strategic plan will introduce a model of education that puts decision making back into the hands of local communities and public school teachers, rather than leaving it in the hands of legislators and ultimately lining the pockets of corporations.

African Awakening
0%

African Awakening(en)

1962-01-01

Among the many parts of the world in which Unilever companies operate, West Africa has a special place. The Africa of popular imagination is a land of jungles, swamps and mud huts; but side by side with the traditional, a new Africa is growing and the film "African Awakening” is an expression of this, of the attitudes of those African men and women who are today the driving force of West African progress. “African Awakening”, a colour film which runs for 38 minutes, is one of a series of Unilever films dealing with different aspects of African life.

The Good Canadian
55%

The Good Canadian(en)

2025-09-30

The world knows the image of the good Canadian. But what if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? THE GOOD CANADIAN exposes the truth behind the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. Fusing shocking footage with detailed interviews with experts, advocates, whistleblowers and politicians, THE GOOD CANADIAN challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth.

The Walkout
0%

The Walkout(en)

2025-08-02

“The Walkout” is a new documentary that brings to light a pivotal but often overlooked moment in Texas history: the 1968 student walkout at Edgewood High School in San Antonio’s Westside. Fed up with underfunded classrooms, uncertified teachers, and crumbling facilities, a group of young Mexican American students and their families organized a bold protest that would become a catalyst for statewide education reform. Told through the voices of the original students, community leaders, and historians, The Walkout weaves together personal testimony, historical footage, and present-day reflections to honor the legacy of resistance born in San Antonio’s Westside. This film doesn’t just revisit the past; it also draws a direct line to today’s struggles over school funding and equity in Texas.

The Children Must Learn
0%

The Children Must Learn(en)

1940-01-01

Documentary profiling an Appalachian farming family struggling to scrape out a living. Link­ing education and economic development, The Children Must Learn suggests that better schooling, especially in agricultural techniques, would bring improvement.

The Standard Deviants: The Dangerous World of Pre-Calculus, Part 2
0%

The Standard Deviants: The Dangerous World of Pre-Calculus, Part 2(en)

1996-01-01

This edition includes topics such as exponential functions, common log or base 10, rules of exponents, natural log or base e, applications of exponents, rules of logs, logarithms, solving log equations and converting logs to base 10 or base e.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
62%

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?(en)

2008-01-21

Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.

Education and Nationalism
100%

Education and Nationalism(ja)

2022-05-13

A group of uniformed Japanese schoolchildren make their way to class. But what they will be taught when they get there is a subject increasingly under government scrutiny. EDUCATION AND NATIONALISM traces growing government intervention in Japanese history and social science education over the last decade — a process embraced by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.