If the argument for the decline of the United States were based only on historical analogy and recent economic and political facts, then Senator Bill Bradley's response that ''decline'' is ''needlessly provocative'' would have considerable force (''Taking Stock: Is America in Decline?'' by Peter Schmeisser, April 17). But there is a factor, briefly mentioned in the article, that strongly supports the argument for decline. This is the state of education in America.

A number of reports in the early 1980's called attention to serious deficiencies in American education, from kindergarten to high school. More recently, two reports about performance in mathematics and science indicate that American students do more poorly than most of their counterparts in other industrialized countries. The national response to these reports has been generally picayune and cosmetic. Continuing educational mediocrity in the United States must inevitably lead to scientific and technological mediocrity and then surely to national decline.

Can the current trend be reversed? Perhaps, but the omens are not good. Almost any elementary or secondary teacher with 10 or more years of experience will confirm that not only has performance declined but also that fewer and fewer students display the work ethic, without which any educational reform will fail. ANTHONY RALSTON Professor, State University of New York at Buffalo

Photo of Paul Kennedy (Benno Friedman)