Why America is Failing

The American Educational System

F

America used to be the number one educational system in the world.

Today our students have tested 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in

mathematics compared to 70 developed nations.

Top performing countries include Australia, Canada, Shanghai China, and

Finland (NCEE).

What are we doing wrong?

What is accountability?The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 changed America’s approach to education by focusing on accountability. Schools and teachers are now required to prove how they are meeting student needs. This boils down to excellent standard test results…or else.

The government punishes schools and states for low student achievement.

Accountability equals standardized testing and similar tests as means of determining student achievement.

As a result students are “taught to the test.”

What does it mean to be “taught-to-the-test?”

American curriculum focuses more on standardized test content than actual student learning needs. This focus on test prep is only

retained by students in the short-term and is not relevant to the needs of students in the long-

term. How can students compete in the global landscape when they are not learning the

appropriate curriculum?

Curriculum can’t be adjusted until accountability methods are fixed.

There are 52 different accountability structures! One for every state – this means that students are learning different curriculum based on different frameworks and test results are assessed using different measurements….. The government uses a unified framework to determine the achievement of all these different assessments.

What sense does that make?

We need a new approach that focuses on a uniformed accountability

structure and comprehensive and challenging curriculum that

requires critical thinking skills.

The American Educational System is a maze of dead ends!

America must learn from countries whose

educational systems are currently succeeding!

TAIWANCHINA

SWITZERLAND

CANADA

JAPAN

FINLAND

ESTONIA

KOREAPOLAND

Finland and South Korea have the top performing students in the

world according to the Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD).

What they are doing right…Finland’s Educational System

* Same curriculum for all students

* Light homework loads

* Very little standardized testing

* Children do not start school until age 7

* Comprehensive preschool program that emphasizes "self-

reflection" and socializing, not academics

* Grades are not given until high school

* Teachers must have master's degrees

* Becoming a teacher in Finland is highly competitive

* Students are separated into academic and vocational tracks during

the last three years of high school

* Diagnostic testing of students is used early and frequently

* Intensive intervention is provided for students in need of extra help.

* Groups of teachers visit each other’s' classes to observe their

colleagues at work.

* Teachers get one afternoon per week for professional development.

* School funding is higher for the middle school years when dropping

out is at the highest risk.

* College is free.

Finland’s educational system is the model of

SUCCESS.

The U.S. should investigate and implement best

practices from top performing educational

systems around the world such as Finland.

Top Performing Educational Systems Have the Following Factors of Success

* Highly qualified instructors* Less emphasis on grades and standardized

testing* More emphasis on the act of learning,

critical thinking and collaboration* Unified curriculum and core standards for

assessing progress* Learner-centered approaches

America is failing to compete on the global landscape

because graduates are unprepared.

Students spend most of their time preparing for

standardized tests – not how to solve problems through

critical thinking or preparing for the real world through

dynamic learning environments.

Will standardized tests run the country?

Will standardized tests solve the world’s greatest problems?

So why is America obsessed with standardized testing?

NO!

It is a FACT that American students are FAILING

compared to more than a dozen other countries.

The time to act is NOW! Students are our future, if

they fail…

WE ALL FAIL!

Take a stand and demand change

NOW!

References

“Global grade: How do U.S. students compare?” Greatschools.com.

2008. Web.

National Commission on Excellence in Education. “A Nation at Risk:

The Imperative for Educational Reform.” 1983. Web.

Shepherd, Jessica. “World Education Rankings: Which Country Does

Best at Reading, Maths and Science?” Datablog. 2010. Web.