Chapter 1: Recent education reform in the United States

No Child Left Behind has introduced standardized testing to public education on an unprecendented scale. NCLB lays out clear goals for test performance in reading, writing, math and science. Sub-groups are identified and achievement gaps must be closed. Some facts from the book include:
The US scored 19th out of 21 countries in 1995 on the TIMMS
The US scored 24th out of 40 countries in 2003 on the PISA
The US scored 18th out of 40 countries in 2006 on the PIRLS
And in 1964 the US scored second to last out of 11 countries on the FIMS.

Yet, our author makes the argument that while these test results are indeed concerning, the doom that results like the 1964 FIMS study predicted did not seem to come to pass. In fact one study cited in the book seemed to indicate an inverse relationship between the test performance of a nation and it's subsequent prosperity.

So, Bill Gates has famously indicted American high schools as obsolete. Test scores, the numbers of college graduates from India and China and our own persisting acheivement gaps all seem to point to trouble in our education system. Yet things are not clear cut.

Here are some questions to ponder:

What positive impact has NCLB had on schools?

What can we learn from testing results?

Do you think our system of education is becoming or has become obsolete?

Is there really a crisis; is there cause for concern; or is this all a bunch of nonsense?

Introductory Video: Dr. Yong Zhao

This video makes for a good teaser for Catching up or leading the way.  American education in the age of globalization.

Watch the video

What resonates for me is the assertion about the real strength in American education is the value of the individual and the power of independence.  I believe we need to see better test scores, but I worry about too much sacrifice in the name of that noble cause.



The book is available from ASCD here:
http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=109076