Why We’re behind, What Top Nations Teach Their Students But We Don’t, Common Core (2009)

Common Core just put out the results of a year- long study of PISA test results for 15 year-olds. They looked in depth at the approaches of nine countries whose students outperformed American kids on the test. They used data on the PISA tests given in 2000, 2003 and 2006. You can download the report on the web. It is 102 pages long but worth reading. To save you time in case you just don’t have time or to entice you to read further if you do, I’ll give you the conclusion: All of these countries emphasize a broad liberal arts, content- rich approach, we emphasize “learning strategies, weak in content.” This is the old “only process is important” attitude taught by the education schools over the past century. It hasn’t worked out well. E.D. Hirsch made this point in his book The Knowledge Deficit, “The dominant ideas in American education are virtually unchallenged within the educational community. American education expertise (which is not the same as educational expertise in nations that perform better than we do) has a monolithic character in which dissent is stifled.”

The report also points out that the current preoccupation with “job skills” as in the 21st Century Skill Movement will not allow us to correct course and learn from our competitor nations. We still have the “bit in our teeth” and are determined to avoid facing the reality of the trap we have gotten into with the overemphasis on pedagogy (process) at the expense of subject knowledge. Until we bring balance to this situation we will continue to waste billions of dollars and more importantly limit our kids futures because we refuse to force the required changes to our approach.

Also, our education system which is mired in the past is not putting in the time to get the results we need even if they were focused on the approach used by the top competitor countries. Let me give you a personal experience that emphasizes the difference. When I was working in high tech, I visited Japan a few times, as VP and Division Manager of a semiconductor process equipment operation in New York. The trips always involved meeting with important customers and visiting our Japanese equipment plant in Oita Prefecture on Kyushu to assess how it was progressing. Our Oita plant was on the sea next to a hotel that specialized in weddings. That is where I stayed. On one visit I was to leave early Saturday morning to fly to Tokyo and then on home to NY Kennedy Airport. The flight was early and I had arranged for a cab to take me to the airport. It was rural area, especially compared to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka. On the way to the airport at 6:30 in the morning on a two lane road, we came upon a string of about a dozen school children riding their bikes to school. The oldest led the way and the smallest was last in line. I asked about it and was told, “Oh yes, our children go to school for a half day on Saturdays.” I thought, “Wow that explains a lot.”

I was reminded of this difference when I read the Common Core report. The length of the school year in the nine countries they studied in depth ranged from 180 days (some places in Canada) to 243 days in Japan, with an average of 206 days. In Colorado we specify a minimum of 160 days. I know trying to lengthen the school year here is a bit like tilting windmills. However, we need to face reality. I know the teachers would howl to high heaven if asked to work more days, especially without a pay increase. Our teachers are already paid really well in comparison and lots of things would need to change if we were to increase that significantly. Examples include merit pay, no tenure to protect poor performance, etc. I can see the heels being dug in and the foxholes being dug deeper over the mere thought of such changes.

However, it should be apparent that the great pay, good benefits, and great retirement plans enjoyed by teachers are all in great jeopardy if we continue to turn out human capital that is uncompetitive with the best in the world. Oh sure, we have gotten away with ignoring the reality of our poor performance for decades. We have to realize our economy is like a gigantic flywheel. That has helped maintain things in spite of our poor performance. But, it also will prevent swift action on the plus side from taking immediate effect as well. We continue to ignore this problem at great peril.