What if the most important question isn’t how to bring standardized test scores of U.S. students up to the level of other industrialized nations? What if the bigger issue is how to maintain and nurture our citizenry’s long-standing talent for innovation, patent-earning and productivity on the world stage.
Last year I heard Dr. Yong Zhao speak at a Michigan Department of Education-sponsored conference. I was startled when he told the audience that ever since the first nation-to-nation test score comparisons were made in the 1960’s, U.S. scores have been near the bottom of the pack, yet, as a nation, we have excelled every one of those years in comparison to other nations–more inventions, more patents, and a significantly higher quality of life.
American innovation is legendary and it has been profitable for its citizens. Yet we know that not all of our under-age citizens are getting the start they need. If they did, it is reasonable to assume we might soar even higher that we have in the past century.
You may enjoy listening to Dr. Zhoa’s somewhat contrarian views in the video you can reach through this link.
