A Nation at Risk is a report published by the U.S. Department of Education's National Commission on Excellence in 1983. This report is the origin of many current reforms in education. Using military metaphors to illustrate the proclaimed mediocrity of American education, the commission's recommendations included more stringent high school graduation requirements, the adoption of higher and measurable standards of academic performance, increased time spent in school, and higher standards of performance for teachers. Although the means to correct the perceived problems of schooling and education have varied, this document is a critical historical event that focused federal and national attention on educational issues.