Quote:
Originally Posted by wade52
Are you aware of how those rankings really compare?
Are you aware that those other nations separate their students by about 6-8th grade into two tracks: vocational and academic?
Are you aware that those nations only report results on their academic-track students?
Are you aware that those figures compare ALL American students (the best and brightest down to the worst and dimmest) against those other nations' pre-identified college elite?
I didn't think so.  |
Could you please provide a reliable source confirming that the last two opinions (before your 'I didn't think so' comment) you've stated above are facts?
The information I have from the US Dept of Ed is very different. The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences at the Department of Education has gone on record stating that test takers are selected randomly in all countries and not selected from the top performers.
NPR Audio:
NPR: U.S. High Schools: World Standings
Also, an analysis of the results yields the following information:
"Belief: In many other advanced countries only elite students get to go to secondary school. Most students in the United States graduate from high school, so we are comparing our average students with other nations best.
Figure 7 shows the percentage of the typical secondary school leaving age population that has actually finished secondary school for 20 advanced nations. The United States actually graduates a lower fraction at the typical graduation age than do most other advanced nations."
"Belief: Other countries “track” students into academic or vocational schools. Because only the academic students were tested, they had an unfair advantage.
The secondary school systems are indeed complex in some nations. Some countries might have gained an advantage by not testing vocational students. Other countries might have been disadvantaged because both academic and vocational students were tested, and vocational students had less academic preparation.
In fact, the countries in which vocational students were excluded tended not to be the top performers. The average score of nations that included most or all vocational students in 12th grade testing, excluding South Africa, was 510 in math and 512 in science. South Africa was excluded from the average because it is completely dissimilar from the other nations tested. The average score of nations that excluded most or all vocational students was 501 in math and 498 in science. Tracking obviously did nothing to help 12th graders.
The myth that tracking caused a relative disadvantage for the United States is completely without basis. In fact, it is false that most countries tested only academic students."
It also might be interesting to note...
"Belief: Our average is brought down by a sizeable fraction of poor minority students with limited English skills, but our very best students are a match for those in any country.
Figure 5 shows the average PISA math scores of the very best students – the 95th percentile – in 20 advanced nations. The United States most advanced students did not do very well. They were next to last of the best students in 20 advanced nations. The reality check is that our very best students did not do as well as the best students of most other advanced nations."
"PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) assesses how well prepared students are for life beyond the classroom by
focusing on the application of knowledge and skills to problems with a real-life context. PISA represents an international collaboration that provides information for policymakers and researchers throughout the world."
"Belief: Students in high scoring countries, especially Asian nations, are drilled in facts and therefore excel in tests. American students are more attuned to original, creative thinking.
The PISA tests assessed the ability to apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems. This was particularly true for the problem-solving test. Solution of the problems was only possible with original thinking. Logical processes had to be creatively applied to novel situations and the students had to explain the reasoning behind their solutions. The United States came in dead last among 20 advanced nations and well below the international average, as shown in Figure 4. In contrast, students in many Asian nations performed superbly."
