Table of Contents
Introduction 7
1 US Student Achievement Trends Downward as Other Countries Improve Linda Darling-Hammond 11
2 American Schools Possess Strengths Other Countries Want to Emulate Yong Zhao 25
3 US Schools Can Achieve More by Doing Less Lawrence Baines 34
4 Low Standards Cause America's Poor Educational Performance Amanda Ripley 41
5 Blending Traditional and Online Learning Improves Achievement Jonathan Schorr Deborah McGriff 49
6 Private Funders Struggle to Make an Impact on Education Reform Helen Zelon 61
7 Large Class Sizes Are Unfair to Students Scott Thill 68
8 US Colleges Lack the Rigor Needed to Compete Globally Richard Arum Josipa Roksa 74
9 US Students Trail Global Peers in Foreign Language Learning Lewis Beale 79
10 College Access Is Shrinking Despite Demand for an Educated Workforce Kim Clark 84
11 Education Budget Cuts Forecast a Less Prepared Workforce Gary Scharrer 93
12 The United States Must Produce Better Teachers to Compete Globally Judith Kleinfeld 97
Organizations to Contact 101
Bibliography 106
Index 110
