2. RECURRING QUESTIONS What are the goals of education?
Who gets to define and prioritize those goals?
How do some goals conflict with others?

3. RECURRING QUESTIONS
Can improving education and schools—through policy or practice—really accomplish all of those goals?
Do schools and education mainly reproduce inequality from generation to generation? Or, are they mainly a vehicle for overcoming it?
Does engaged community service in education-related organizations solve underlying problems, or merely alleviate their symptoms?

4. American Education in Global Perspective

6. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH
Singapore
UNITED STATES
Dominican Republic

7. 2015 PISA Results --- SCIENCE
Singapore
UNITED STATES
Dominican Republic

8. 2015 PISA Results --- READING
Singapore
UNITED STATES
Lebanon

10. Miller, D. C. , and Warren, L. K. (2011)
Miller, D.C., and Warren, L.K. (2011). Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2011 (NCES ). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

11. international assessments?
Why is the US average on
international assessments?
Things the schools do (or fail to do)
School organization
Funding models, resources
Teachers, unions, school/district leadership
Curriculum

17. Source: PISA in Focus 46, OECD

21. international assessments?
Why is the US average on
international assessments?
Things the schools do (or fail to do)
The backgrounds and attributes of students
Economic resources
Family circumstances
Expectations, norms

22. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore Massachusetts North Carolina
UNITED STATES
Puerto Rico
Dominican Republic

23. 2015 PISA Results --- SCIENCE
Singapore
Massachusetts
North Carolina
UNITED STATES
Puerto Rico
Dominican Republic

24. 2015 PISA Results --- READING
Singapore
Massachusetts
North Carolina
UNITED STATES
Puerto Rico
Lebanon

25. State NAEP READING Test Score, 8th Grade, 2015
State NAEP MATH Test Score, 8th Grade, 2015

28. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore US, Highest 25% SES UNITED STATES
US, Lowest
25% SES
Dominican Republic

29. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore <10% Free/ Reduced Lunch
UNITED STATES
>75% Free/
Reduced Lunch
Dominican Republic

30. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore Asian White UNITED STATES
Hispanic
Black
Dominican Republic

31. SOURCE: OECD (2018), Poverty rate (indicator). doi: 10
SOURCE: OECD (2018), Poverty rate (indicator). doi: /0fe1315d-en (Accessed on 24 January 2018)

32. “Relative child poverty rate” = percentage of children living in households that earn less than
50% the median income.

33. SOURCE: OECD (2018), Income inequality (indicator). doi: 10
SOURCE: OECD (2018), Income inequality (indicator). doi: /459aa7f1-en (Accessed on 24 January 2018)

34. SOURCE: https://www. cia

36. Things the schools do (or fail to do)
Why is the US “average” on most measures despite investing more resources?
Things the schools do (or fail to do)
The backgrounds and attributes of students
Economic resources
Family circumstances
Expectations, norms

37. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore US, Highest 25% SES UNITED STATES
US, Lowest
25% SES
Dominican Republic

38. 2015 PISA Results --- MATH Singapore Asian White UNITED STATES
Hispanic
Black
Dominican Republic

39. Why is the US “average” on most measures despite investing more resources?
Things the schools do (or fail to do)
The backgrounds and attributes of students
Policy decisions: How do American schools educate all children in a highly unequal and racist society?

40. RECURRING QUESTIONS What are the goals of education?
Who gets to define and prioritize those goals?
How do some goals conflict with others?

41. RECURRING QUESTIONS
Can improving education and schools—through policy or practice—really accomplish all of those goals?
Do schools and education mainly reproduce inequality from generation to generation? Or, are they mainly a vehicle for overcoming it?
Does engaged community service in education-related organizations solve underlying problems, or merely alleviate their symptoms?

43. Comparative Perspective on Education Systems

45. Stratification “...the degree to which systems have clearly differentiated kinds of schools whose curricula are defined as ‘higher’ and ‘lower.’”

46. Standardization “...the degree to which the quality of education meets the same standards nationwide.”

47. Vocational Specificity “
Vocational Specificity “...the extent to which [educational systems] offer curricula that are designed to prepare students for particular vocations and award credentials that are vocationally specific.”

48. Educational Enrollment in America
100% 0%
Age
Grade PK K BA

49. Educational Enrollment in America
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

50. Educational Enrollment in America
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

51. Educational Enrollment in America
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

52. Educational Enrollment in America
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

53. Developing Countries 100% 0% Standard Quality Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA
Poor Quality
Standard Quality
100% 0%

54. Stratification
“...the degree to which systems have clearly differentiated kinds of schools whose curricula are defined as ‘higher’ and ‘lower.’”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

55. Stratification
“...the degree to which systems have clearly differentiated kinds of schools whose curricula are defined as ‘higher’ and ‘lower.’”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Elite Academic
Comprehensive
Poor Quality
Basic
Age
Grade PK K BA

56. Standardization
“...the degree to which the quality of education meets the same standards nationwide.”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

57. Standardization
“...the degree to which the quality of education meets the same standards nationwide.”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

58. Vocational Specificity
“...the extent to which [educational systems] offer curricula that are designed to prepare students for particular vocations and award credentials that are vocationally specific.”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Poor Quality
Age
Grade PK K BA

59. Vocational Specificity
“...the extent to which [educational systems] offer curricula that are designed to prepare students for particular vocations and award credentials that are vocationally specific.”
100% 0%
Elite Quality
Standard Quality
Upper White Collar
Lower White Collar
Poor Quality
Manual / Blue Collar
Age
Grade PK K BA

61. What should we ask our visitors?

62. Early Childhood Education
Universal attendance? If not, who goes?
Variation in quality?
Publicly paid for?

63. Primary Education
Public? Private? Religious?
Variation in quality?
How do students end up in specific schools? How much choice do they have?
Is there ability grouping?
Who determines the curriculum? Same everywhere?

64. Secondary Education
Universal attendance? Until what age?
If some leave altogether, who are they?
Differentiation of tracks (i.e., college, vocational)? When and how does assignment to tracks occur? Can students switch?
Public funding? Private?
Variation in quality?
How do students end up in specific schools?

65. Post-Secondary Education
How many go?
Who goes?
How does the college selection/assignment process work?
Who pays for it?

66. Bigger Picture?
Where are the points in the process where social inequality arises?
What surprises you about the US system compared to your own?