State and national data were used to examine whether Pennsylvania students are part of a national trend of decreasing higher achievers' scores and declining higher order skills. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports and the Pennsylvania Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) were examined. Analysis indicated that Pennsylvania students' mathematics and writing skills were at the highest point ever. Problem solving skills remained stable. Although the state's students reported more writing activity than students nationally, Pennsylvania schools should consider an increase in the amount of writing required of students to improve their writing performance. A decline in analytic, interpretive, and evaluative skills in literature assessment was found. Recommendations are made to overcome these skill deficiences. Results are analyzed for items measuring student time spent on out-of-school pursuits including reading, television viewing, and homework. The author concludes that, although some school programs in Pennsylvania are not as rigorous or demanding as they could be, the state's educational program is adequate. She suggests more careful study of the needs of each program before implementing changes. (DWH)