At the end of the year we see these assessments of our (United States) progress or position in the world with regard to education. It always amazes me in the logic of some of these commentators reporting such statistics.
My point is that people who should know are always talking or writing about how we are so far behind the rest of the world. They should realize that they are comparing apples to oranges to borrow a phrase. Two items should help make my point. The United States is a major chunk of the North American Continent. You can not compare education here with say, the Netherlands, or any country that could fit in Texas. It just doesn't work that way. Second, we are a country of opportunity which includes education for the masses. Believe it or not, not all countries send all children to school for 12 to 20 years. They are measuring our general population against a select group in other countries.
I have never seen a comparison between our top 1000 brightest students and any other countries top 1000 students. That is just an arbitrary number, so don't get hung up on the 1000. My point is when you hear or read a report base upon statistics consider what those statistics are measuring and how they were gathered.
These same people that cry out about our failing schools are the ones crying out for educational opportunities for all. What if we required admission tests (like the college SATs) for entry to high school? I bet our high school level test scores would zoom right up with the rest of the smaller countries scores.
When you next see or hear one of these laments, ask yourself a few questions.
- Who made the study?
- How many people were included in the study from each country?
- How many children attend schools in these countries?
- How are students placed in schools in each country?
- Were the tests consistent in all countries?
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