Opinion: How US schoolchildren can stop trailing their international peers

Updated: 2 Hours ago Published: 10 Hours ago

American teachers better hope Santa doesn’t check test results. New results from an international comparison of K-12 students show that they continue to lag behind their peers around the world. If American students are to rebound, policymakers across the country must ignore calls for lower — yes, lower — standards coming from some sectors and reject claims that more education spending is the answer.

According to an international test known as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), fourth graders in the United States have dropped 18 points in math since the last test in 2019, and eighth grade scores have dropped 27 points. That American students are falling behind is nothing new — in fact, student test scores have declined on many different measures since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these international results were particularly poor, because students at the lower end of the academic achievement scale fell further behind.

Economists estimate that such discouraging and demoralizing outcomes would have lasting consequences on future student incomes and on the entire economy, to the tune of $31 trillion per year. lost Economic output over the next century.

Educational successes in states like Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi show the way out of this quagmire, but their results have been drowned out by the headline-grabbing activities of the U.S. Department of Education and flawed analysis from the mainstream media.

For example, US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona led a “bus tour” this fall to promote states where policymakers increased education spending. He did not mention that legislators in some of the high-spending states he visited, such as Wisconsin, had visited reduced Standard for passing grades in state tests.

And also the last one Comment From The New York Times She said the state with the best education system is Massachusetts (“by most estimates”), but this is a misunderstanding of what should be considered educational success and what parents want for their children.

Consider this: More than a decade ago, Massachusetts schools operated with high academic standards, and state education officials could boast strong test scores. However, other countries have made remarkable progress over the past few years, and with less money. Massachusetts taxpayers spend nearly $23,000 per student, but Florida and Mississippi taxpayers spend nearly half that amount and have seen some of the biggest economic events. Improvements in fourth grade reading scores in any state in the country.

Massachusetts is not alone as a high-spending district that is largely stagnant in terms of student achievement, but the state is an example of the problems besetting education across the country.

In November, Bay State voters approved a ballot initiative that weakens the state’s previously strong standards by eliminating the graduation exam, similar to a policy that lowered benchmarks in Wisconsin.

Lawmakers in Oregon also lowered graduation standards in 2023, and officials in New York have proposed the same. If elites want the rest of the country to follow the lead of Wisconsin, Oregon, and Massachusetts by spending more and lowering expectations, then students are in trouble.

The poor results for American students are a signal that education officials need to set high goals and the inequality between school spending and success. First, lawmakers should adopt strong academic content. Recently, policymakers in Florida and Louisiana revamped their states’ academic goals for civics and social studies, respectively. Mississippi State’s approach to reading by not advancing third graders until they demonstrate proficiency is also worth following.

Second, parents need quality options. These same three states that have worthwhile academic content also offer special educational scholarships to students on the arithmetic model. Florida options are available to students statewide, and Louisiana options will be available in the coming years.

This month, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. summed up his state’s quest for excellence in a speech to the Global Strategic Forum, saying: “Enforcing strong, rigorous standards, rich content, and holding schools accountable — a combination of that, with a point of leverage in school choice.” …This is what drives the engine of Florida’s education system.

These policies – not lower expectations and increased spending – will drive improvement across the country. Educational miracles are difficult to achieve, but parents are sure to accept steady progress in the right direction.

Jonathan Butcher is the Will Skillman Research Fellow in Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation.

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