Judging information from multiple sources, assessing credibility, analyzing arguments for validity and assumptions... these are all basic components of a liberal arts education.
Maybe we should actually focus on producing literate and critical students in grade school and high school instead of fanatically pursuing standardized tests, STEM programs, and sports. (Yes, I lumped STEM in there knowing I'm on a technology site.)
Standardized tests are a poor proxy for what we want, which is inventive, thoughtful, and productive adults. Universities, trade schools, and employers are picking up high school graduates---and surprise, they are complaining of similar deficits.
People who will succeed in STEM fields need more opportunity than guidance. All of the best people I've seen were largely passionate and self-taught. The rest just followed the money---and people who follow the money will push themselves to that level regardless. Mentoring and hobbyist groups exist outside of school, which is generally not true for basic academic instruction.
Sports provide some benefits in terms of physical health, socialization, and team work---but most places spend significant funds on sports equipment and facilities while actual academic infrastructure is left to crumble or slide into obsolescence.
On top of the misplaced focus, we have a serious political obstacle. The whole No Child Left Behind initiative was moronic from the beginning. Practically zero educators approved of the idea, yet it became law anyway.
On top of reinforcing the primacy of standardized test results, we are now funding institutions absent serious investigation into where funds are needed vs where they are being squandered. A "bad" school may be getting poor scores due to poor administration and wasteful spending, or it may have a population which demands more work---some schools must provide more remedial education, mental health treatment, behavioral discipline, etc than others.