involvement of, 35–36, 101, 107–11, 213, 218, 264n
Korean, 7, 59, 60–63, 106–11, 114, 116, 170, 171, 174, 176, 218, 258n, 267n, 268n, 276n–77n
murder of, 61–62
Oklahoma, 33, 35–36
in PISA, 107–14, 275n–77n
Polish, 134
praise by, 110–12, 276n
PTA (Parent Teacher Association), 109–10, 213, 276n
reading of, 68–69, 111
self-segregation by, 161
single, 45, 62, 102–3
styles of, 112–13
parent-teacher conferences, 35–36, 61, 98
Paris, 15, 114
peer effect, 105, 137
Pennsylvania, 140, 141, 282n
see also Gettysburg, Pa.
Pennsylvania, University of, 121
Pennsylvania state test (PSSA), 282n
persistence, 118, 120, 121, 192
personality, earnings and, 278n
philosophy, 72, 128
physical education, 94
Pietarsaari, 45, 81–84, 81, 97–99, 101–3, 151–54, 158, 270n
PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), 15–25, 161, 255n–61n, 262n, 284n
AFS survey and, 220–22
author’s taking of, 20–24, 260n
critics of, 18–19, 259n
development of, 15, 258n
economic growth and, 24
graduation tests and, 33, 156, 263n
home environment and, 107
parental survey and, 107–14, 275n–77n
poverty and, 132
predictive power of, 24, 261n
prior tests compared with, 15
special education and, 284n
stereotypes contradicted by, 18
student survey and, 121–22
tracking and, 138
2001 results of, 15–18
PISA International Data Explorer, 260n
Plato’s Cave, 142
play, 109, 277n
Poland, 8, 9, 67–72, 141, 144–47, 159, 191, 199, 266n, 275n
author’s visit to, 25, 127–30, 144–47
education reform in, 131–37, 139, 146, 147, 282n
education spending in, 136, 146, 281n
end-of-school tests in, 263n
Finland compared with, 127, 133, 139, 147
history of, 124–39, 146–47
Korea compared with, 175
Marshall in, 181–83
metamorphosis of, 24, 124–37
PISA in, 70, 123, 127, 135–37, 146, 147, 198
poverty in, 24, 71, 127, 136, 279n–80n
teachers in, see teachers, Polish
teacher training in, 133, 146–47
tracking in, 132, 160
transition phase in, 131
U.S. compared with, see United States, Poland compared with
Polish language, 128
politics, politicians, 6, 25, 62, 90, 130, 146, 175–76, 199
Portugal, 70, 275n
Postlethwaite, Thomas Neville, ix, 13–14, 15
poverty, 3, 6, 17, 27, 101, 112, 256n–58n, 274n
definition of, 257n, 258n, 279n–90n
in Finland, 71, 193, 257n
in Korea, 59, 64, 71, 174, 267n
PISA and, 132
in Poland, 24, 71, 127, 136, 279n–80n
in Sallisaw, 27
in U.S., see United States, poverty in
praise, 110, 111–12, 229–31, 229, 276n
Praxis, 91
Presidential Fitness Test, 190
principals, 90, 96, 110, 116–17, 119, 162, 191, 195, 213, 266n, 281n
in Finland, 155, 166
at Gettysburg High, 140–45, 282n
in Poland, 133, 134, 137, 145, 146
questions for, 215–18
private schools, 17, 70, 167, 168, 187, 211–12, 259n, 261n
privilege, 2, 4, 17, 70
probability, 70, 270n
problem solving, 4, 5, 21–23
property taxes, 160
Providence Journal, 92
psychologists, 151, 153
PTA (Parent Teacher Association) parenting, 109–10, 213, 276n
punishment, 166, 195, 265–66
race, 2, 17, 27, 70, 107, 139, 158–60, 162
see also diversity; minorities
Race to the Top, 194
racism, 91, 158
Ravitch, Diane, 163, 256n
reading, 4, 5, 78, 88, 113, 182, 217
to children, 108–11, 114, 159, 218
critical thinking in, 1, 4, 31, 262n
math compared with, 77
parental involvement and, 107–11, 276n
of parents, 68–69, 111
standards for, 75
tests of, 14, 15, 20, 21–22, 24, 31, 70, 95, 123, 127, 132, 135, 136, 160, 165, 198, 262n, 281n
of Tom, 69, 180, 187, 188
remedial classes, 37, 265n
research and development, 5, 257n
resilience, 113, 192, 228
Rhee, Michelle, 1–2, 196
Rhode Island, 90–92, 218
Rhode Island College, 92, 273n–74n
rigor, 116–19, 140, 158, 168, 208
in Finland, 156, 168
in Poland, 131, 146, 147
in Singapore, 161
in U.S., 132, 136, 160, 189, 192, 194–97, 217, 226, 282n
Roosevelt, Franklin, 126
Rotary Clubs, 8, 51
Russia, 82, 102
Sallisaw, Okla., 26–32, 26, 34–45, 102, 152
education spending in, 264n
income in, 35, 95, 264n
state test in, 27, 261n
Sallisaw High School, 34–37, 40–41, 82, 83, 87, 154, 184
SAT, 29–32, 51, 54–55, 116, 143, 156, 158, 175, 189, 196, 262n
of teachers, 91, 93, 96–97, 274n
Schleicher, Andreas, ix, 13–20, 13, 107, 134–35, 214, 258n, 259n
Schmidt, William, 74, 281n
Scholastic, 266n
science, 4, 14, 59, 70, 77, 88, 138, 143, 217
critical thinking in, 1, 4
in Korea, 53
Oklahoma standards in, 40, 265n
tests of, 7, 15, 20, 22, 24, 70, 95, 136, 198, 258n, 281n
segregation, 139, 160, 161, 285n
self-control, 111, 120
self-esteem, 109–12, 116, 154, 217, 276n
self-reliance, 277n
Seoul, 169
author in, 58–65, 171, 176–78
Seoul National University, 58, 175, 266n
Sequoyah County Times, 32
Seven Brothers (Finnish classic), 82
Seven Dog Brothers (children’s book), 82–83, 84
Shanghai, 25, 158, 183, 198, 255n, 260n
Singapore, 25, 139, 160–61
sisu, 153–54
skills, modern workplace, 5–6, 23, 70, 77–78, 120–21, 140, 258n–59n
sleep, 36
in Korean classes, 52–53, 56, 66, 105, 169, 266n
Slovak Republic, 198
Slovenia, 70, 140
smoking, 145, 187
social studies, 138
socks, 51, 66
South Korea, 4, 8, 22–25, 46–66, 46, 104–7, 119, 127, 141, 168–79, 190, 191, 199, 222, 275n
author’s visit to, 25, 58–66, 176–78, 277n
claustrophobia in, 65–66
conformity in, 66
education as antipoverty vaccine in, 60
Education Ministry in, 58, 62
education reduced to numbers in, 54–55
education spending in, 170, 174, 175, 261n
end-of-school tests in, 262n
Finland compared with, 65, 155, 175, 266n, 268n, 277n
“hamster wheel” in, 192
history of, 58–65, 268n
length of school day in, 55–57, 268n
Minnesota compared with, 47, 60–61, 73, 116, 267n
nonacademic school work in, 56
performance-level changes in, 3
PISA in, 22, 23, 24, 57,
59, 60, 65, 70, 122, 161, 172, 173, 198, 275n
poverty in, 59, 64, 71, 174, 267n
pressure-cooker model of, 24, 54–61, 65, 168–78, 285n
private tutoring in, see hagwons
punishment in, 265n–66n
school purpose in, 64
special needs in, 285n
sports and fitness in, 118, 190
study curfew in, 24, 56, 176–78
suicide in, 175
as “talent powerhouse,”59
teachers in, see teachers, Korean
teacher training in, 62, 63, 64, 268n–69n
U.S. compared with, see United States, Korea compared with
U.S. view of education in, 7, 58, 258n
vocational school in, 178–79
see also Busan; Namsan
Soviet Union, 124–25
Spain, 95, 274n–75n
Spałka, Urszula, x, 146
special education, 139, 164, 185, 284n–85n
Spiegel, Der, 15
sports, 64, 68, 102, 109–10, 116, 118–19, 143, 192, 278n
AFS survey and, 228–29, 228
football, 41, 87, 93, 142, 143, 145, 191, 212
in Poland, 145
Stalin, Joseph, 125
standards, 190
academic, 47, 89, 93, 273n
Common Core, 75, 194
of Jenny, 105, 106
math, 73, 74–75, 77
reading, 75
science, 40, 77, 265n
state vs. local, 73
teacher-training, 84–86, 88–93, 273n–74n
Stara, Tiina, x, 82–87, 93, 155, 156
statistics, 70, 86
Steinbeck, John, 26
stereotypes, 18, 59, 109, 110, 164
stoner kids, 83–84, 193
stress, 6, 36, 57–58, 66, 102–3
job, 68
Strong Performers (OECD report), 271n
students, 18
affluent vs. low-income, 70, 255n–57n, 267n
exchange, see exchange students
immigrant vs. native, 17
success, 72, 109, 120, 140, 182
world-class education and, 216–17
Success Academy charter schools, 217–18
suicide, 175
superintendents, 186, 263n, 266n, 281n
in Oklahoma, 34–35, 87, 263n
Supreme Court, Korean, 175
Susanne (Kim’s host mother), x, 45, 102–3, 151, 154
children of, 45, 103, 151, 152
Sweden, 38, 82, 139, 266n
performance-level changes in, 3
Taylor, William, ix, 195–97, 218
teachers, 9, 17–18, 25, 82–95, 113, 139, 189–92, 281n
aides, 33, 262n
American, friendliness of, 157
evaluation of, 63, 85, 96, 195, 266n–67n
Finnish, 41, 82–91, 93, 98, 116–17, 119, 139–40, 155, 156, 162, 163, 165–66, 168, 215, 216, 268n, 271n
firing of, 84, 172, 271n
German, 157
in Gettysburg, Pa. 141, 142, 143
income of, 61, 64, 133, 147, 166, 169, 170, 172, 195–96, 267n–68n, 286n
Korean, 7, 52–53, 56, 59, 61, 62–63, 76, 116–17, 169–70, 215, 258n, 266n–69n, 285n
math, 41, 84, 87–88, 93–95, 112, 128, 195–97, 232, 274n
in Minnesota, 47, 52, 61, 73, 76, 267n–68n
in Oklahoma, 29, 30, 33, 40, 41, 87–88
Polish, 67–68, 71–72, 128, 131, 133, 134, 137, 145, 147
praise by, 229–31, 229
prestige of, 84–97, 268n, 273n
ratio of students to, 33, 59, 262n–263n, 281n
salaries of, see teachers, income of
stereotyping of students by, 163–64
student, 86–87, 94, 274n
surplus of, 87, 88, 91, 97
test scores of, 88, 91, 93, 94, 96–97, 272n, 274n
training of, 62–63, 64, 84–97, 116, 118, 147, 268n–69n, 271n–74n
unions of, 63, 84, 85, 133–34, 166, 271n, 283n
in Washington, D.C., 164–65
world-class education and, 215–18
Teach Like a Champion (Lemov), 113
technology, America’s overinvestment in, 51–52, 64, 144, 214–15, 224–25, 224, 269n
television, 36, 191, 276n
testing, 22, 54–58, 90, 117, 131–32, 191, 266n
in America, 4, 57, 73, 100, 132, 155–56, 263n, 266n
college entrance, 51, 54–55, 56, 114–16, 132, 145
of Elina, 99–100
in Finland, 90, 156–57, 165
high school graduation, 33, 34, 54–55, 96, 117, 119, 146, 155–58, 185–86, 263n, 283n, 287n–88n
Korea’s emphasis on, 7, 51, 54–55, 56, 61
literacy, 33, 135, 136
lying about, 61
NAEP, 261n, 262n
in Oklahama, 33–34, 185–86
in Poland, 131–32
public rankings and, 55, 72
in Sallisaw, 27, 261n
standardized, 57, 73, 90, 117, 131, 132, 266n
of teachers, 91, 93, 94, 272n, 274n
see also ACT; international tests; PISA; SAT
Texas, 37–38, 75
textbooks, 59, 74, 88, 133
Thailand, 94
third graders, 71, 76, 138, 269n
Tiistilä school, 161–67
Time, 1, 153–54, 264n
time management, 117
Tom (American exchange student), x, 8, 67–72, 67, 77
background of, 68–69
differences noticed by, 144
at Gettysburg High, 138, 140–45
homecoming of, 180–81, 187–89, 194
in Poland, 67–68, 71, 72, 124, 125–29, 139, 144–46, 214
poor math skills of, 67–68, 69, 71, 72, 77, 78
reading of, 69, 180, 187, 188–89
tracking and, 138
Toyota, 263n
tracking, 132, 136–40, 160
“Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study” (TIMSS), 121
trigonometry, 76
Tripod survey, 210–11, 289n
trophies, 82, 110
trust, in Finland, 24, 92, 97, 273n
tuition, 93, 174, 175, 267n
Tulsa, Okla., 32, 43
Tulsa World, 34, 186
Turkey, 27, 135, 140
tutoring, 65, 102, 112, 173, 261n
in Korea, see hagwons
unemployment, 2, 43, 181, 195, 255n
unions, teacher, 63, 84, 85, 90, 166, 191, 271n, 283n
in Finland, 84–85, 90, 166, 271n
in Japan, 271n
in Korea, 63
in Poland, 133–34
United Kingdom, 3, 121, 139, 266n
United Nations, 127, 193
United States, 1–2, 4–9, 116–20, 132, 180
advantages of, 4–5
affluent children in, 4, 70, 212, 256n, 259n
afterschool lessons in, 65
corporal punishment in, 266n
diversity and, 4, 6, 17, 91, 158–60, 163, 165, 218
early childhood programs in, 78
education reform in, 90–92, 96
end-of-school tests in, 33, 263n
exchange students’ homecomings to, 180–99
Finland compared with, 39–40, 41, 71, 85–97, 122, 140, 155–57, 162–63, 165, 166, 168, 193, 212, 217, 218, 256n, 257n, 271n, 283n, 285n
free or low-cost lunch in, 256n–57n
high school graduation rates in, 5, 49, 257n
Jenny in, 104–6, 189–90
Korea compared with, 49, 51–52, 55, 57, 59–65, 118, 122, 172, 175, 212, 218, 256n, 257n
local control of education in, 74, 75
math deficiency in, 65, 69–78
“moon bounce” in, 192–93
Norway compared with, 86
parenting in, 107–13, 117, 163, 187, 192, 196, 276n
performance-level changes in, 3
PISA test and, 15, 17–18, 22–24, 59, 70, 86, 1
14, 122, 123, 127, 136, 158, 160, 169, 198, 256n, 260n, 281n
Poland compared with, 24, 70, 71, 127, 135–36, 146, 212, 281n
poverty in, 6, 24, 71, 119, 126, 127, 136, 140, 141, 160, 163, 164, 195, 256n–57n
private schools in, 17, 168, 211–12, 259n, 261n
research and development in, 5, 257n
school purpose in, 64, 74
sports in, 41, 64, 68, 118, 119, 143, 212, 228–29, 228, 278n
teacher training in, 63, 85–97, 116, 268n
technology in, 51–52, 64, 214–15, 224–25, 224, 269n
tracking in, 136, 138–39
unions in, 271n, 283n
universities and colleges, 180–81
entrance tests for, 51, 54–55, 56, 114–16, 132, 145
Ivy League, 65
Korean, 54–55, 58, 59–60, 62, 63, 64, 175, 266n, 268n
math in, 71
PISA’s predictive power and, 24, 261n
Polish, 131–32
remedial classes and, 37, 265n
research, 5
teacher training in, 62, 63, 64, 84–97, 147, 268n, 271n–74n
university leaders, 273n
utopia, 24
Vassar College, 180, 187, 188
Virginia, 75, 198
virtual high school, 154–55, 183–85
vocational schools, 135, 136–37, 139, 140, 142–43, 160, 167, 178–79, 270n–71n
volunteering, parental, 107–10, 275n–76n
Vuorinen, Heikki, x, 162, 163, 165–66
Washington, D.C., 1–2, 4, 164–65, 266n
BASIS schools in, 197
private school in, 211–12
Schleicher in, 18–20
Taylor’s teaching in, 195–97, 218
wealth, 49, 65, 112, 119, 163, 192, 212
Wiśniewski, Jerzy, 135–37
Woessmann, Ludger, 3, 255n
Woolf, Virginia, 180, 187, 188
world-class education, identifying, 207–18
World Economic Forum, 186
World Happiness Report, 193
World War II, 38, 102, 124–25, 126, 144
writing, 77, 101, 113, 182, 188, 217, 262n
Wrocław, 67–68, 67, 71–72, 124–30, 124, 139, 144–45, 187
Youth for Understanding, 8
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Ripley, Amanda.
The smartest kids in the world : and how they got that way / Amanda Ripley.
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