Benchmarking for Success: An International Perspective Presentation to Governors Education Policy Advisors June 7, 2009 Vivien Stewart Vice President, Education Asia Society A. What skills are needed for the global economy? Changing definitions of educational excellence and how the U.S. compares. B. Best practices of high-performing and rapidly improving systems: What the U.S. can learn. C. Reflections on International Benchmarking 1
A. What Skills are Needed d for the Global Economy and How Does the United States Compare? The Next Economy is A Science and Knowledge Economy - need scientific c and technological og ca literacy A Resource-Challenged Economy - need critical thinking about sustainable economies A Globally Interdependent Economy - global competence is a core competence A Demographically Diverse Economy - requires cross-cultural cultural leadership skills An Innovation-Driven Economy - requires students who can learn how to learn and adapt to rapid change 2
1. Secondary School Graduation 100 2005 1995 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Greece Germany Finland1 Japan Korea Norway Ireland Czech Republic4 Switzerland Poland Denmark United Kingdom EU19 average Hungary Slovak Republic OECD average Italy Iceland Sweden Luxembourg United States Spain New Zealand Portugal Turkey Mexico 2. Future Supply of Secondary School Graduates 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2003 2010 2015 2,000,000 0 China EU India US 6 3
3. College Graduation College Participation College Completion Quantity: The U.S. is a leader in young adults (age 18-24) who are enrolled in college, but ranks in the bottom half of college completion. Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Measuring Up: National Report Card on Higher Education 7 4. Future Supply of College Graduates 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 2003 2010 2015 1,000,000 500,000 0 China EU US 4
5. Performance of 15-Year- Olds in Math, Science and Reading 5. Distribution of Performance of 15- Year-Olds in Math and Science Science: One-quarter of U.S. students did not reach the baseline level that will enable them to use science and technology in life situations. ti Although h the U.S. does have an average level of top performers, it also has a much larger proportion than other countries of students who perform at the lowest levels. The difference in science scores between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds is larger in the U.S. than in almost any other country. Math: More than one-quarter of U.S. 15-year-olds performed below the baseline level. The United States had a higher percentage of students in the top two proficiency levels, but even the highest-scoring 10 percent of U.S. students were outperformed by their OECD counterparts. 5
6. Global Skills and Knowledge Current Events: National Geographic/Roper Survey shows U.S. students next to last in nine country survey of knowledge of world knowledge. Languages: Only 50% of U.S. high school students take any language. Most study first year Spanish. 21 of the top 25 industrialized countries begin the study of a world language in grades K-5 21 of the 31 EU countries require students to study another language for at least nine years. Study Abroad: 0.5% of U.S. students study abroad compared with 3% for France and China, 16% for Ireland and 30% for Singapore. High environment science performance Finland Japan 540 7. PISA 2006: Environmental Science Performance of Principal Industrialized Countries Poland Spain Turkey 520 500 480 460 440 Germany OECD average United States Italy Mean score at the environment science performance index Slide courtesy of OECD. 420 400 Low environment science performance 6
8. Creativity and Problem-Solving Creativity has led to many innovations in science and technology, literature, music, and art. In the knowledgedriven economy, the creative class is at the top of the economic value chain and the driving force of economic and social development. Over the past 150 years, the United States has been the world leader in scientific innovations that have powered economic growth at home and around the world. Though Asia is expected to gain prominence in the 21st century, these countries cannot compete with the U.S. in creativity and innovation. - Yong Zhao, University Distinguished Professor of Education at Michigan State University Three Goals Preparing for the Global Economy Raise level of high school graduation and college graduation. Increase performance in math and science. Develop global and environmental literacy and skills. 7
B. Best Practices of High- Performing and Rapidly Improving Systems: What the U.S. Can Learn 1. High Universal Standards Move to common national standards over regional standards in federal systems Reduce two-track secondary systems Focus on learning outcomes Varied approaches. Finland broad goals; England performance benchmarks at key stages Have to be connected to teacher training, publishing How do U.S. standards compare? 8
2. Autonomy and Accountability Decentralization/increasing school autonomy especially budgets, hiring Accountability important but approaches vary widely* Asia external examinations Finland professional mechanisms, eg. school self-evaluations England combines school inspections with pupil performance data. U.S. external multiple choice test-based accountability *Most countries combine classroom performance based assessment in elementary and middle school with external accountability in high school. 3. Strengthened Teacher Professionalism Recruitment Option 1: Selective enrollment into teacher education (Korea, Singapore) Entry based on best exam scores and grades Small number of candidates prepared well Option 2: Selectivity in hiring teachers (Japan, Korea, England, U.S.) Many candidates prepared in variety of venues but only best performers on employment examinations and interview are hired. Induction Programs Transition with support, such as mentors, into real world of teaching Release time to observe exemplary teachers Additional coursework and seminars available 9
3. Strengthened Teacher Professionalism Professional Development Strategies Entitlement to specific number of hours of professional development/year Incentive-based participation in professional development tied to teacher evaluation, salary increases, or new roles Professional development linked to school improvement goals/curriculum standards Targeting Increased Salary Starting salaries to attract people (Australia, Denmark, England, Finland, Norway, Scotland) Mid-career increases to retain teachers in years 5 10 (Austria, Japan, Portugal) Reward highly experienced teachers (Greece, Hungary, New Zealand) Reward highly effective teachers (Australia, England) 3. Strengthened Teacher Professionalism Teacher Policy: The Singapore Model Select teachers from top 30% of high school graduates Prepare teachers to teach Singapore standards Provide financial support during training Mentor for first five years of teaching Provide 100 hours of professional development annuallyall Provide choice of career paths: master teacher, content specialist, or principal Source: Aziz, Duriya. Imaging the Nation - Flexibility and Change in the Teaching and Learning of Math and Science in Singapore. Presentation available: AsiaSociety.org/Education 10
5. Attention to Equity East Asia relatively meritocratic systems approach Sweden school funding gives more resources rces to schools with immigrant populations Poland eliminated secondary school tracking Finland emphasizes individualized support outside classroom Korea national online tutoring system China use satellite-based distance learning and boarding schools to equalize opportunities in rural areas High science performance Finland 560 High average performance Large socio-economic disparities Hong Kong-China 540 Chinese Taipei Canada New Zealand Estonai Japan Australia Netherlands Liechtenstein Korea Slovenia 520 Germany United Kingdom Czech Republic Switzerland Belgium Austria Strong socioeconomic impact on Sweden Ireland Hungary 500 student performance Poland France Denmark Croatia United States Latvia Iceland Slovak Republic Lithuania Spain Luxembourg Norway Durchschnittliche High average performance Schülerleistungen im High social equity Bereich Mathematik Macao-China Socially equitable distribution of learning opportunities Portugal 480 Russian Federation Italy Greece Low average performance Large socio-economic disparities 460 Low Israel average performance High social equity 22 440 Low science performance 12 2 11
6. The Importance of Systems for High Performance National Standards & Aligned Instructions China Ministry of Education sets national standards in both math and science, which drive coherent textbook content, teacher preparation and professional development US U.S. Has huge variation in the rigor and quality of standards between states, districts and schools The Importance of Systems for High Performance Strong Core Curriculum China Biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as algebra and geometry are mandatory for completion of high school. U.S. Nearly 40 percent of high school students do not take course work more challenging than general biology. Rigorous and Ongoing Preparation of Science & Math Teachers 90% of 8 th grade science and math teachers have degrees in their disciplines and specialist math teachers are employed as early as first grade. Fewer than 60% of 8 th grade science teachers have majors in science disciplines. 12
The Importance of Systems for High Performance Time on Task The school year in China is a full month longer at the secondary level than American schools. Chinese students spend twice as many hours studying as their U.S. peers in school and outside school in homework, extra tutoring, and studying for examinations. The Importance of Systems for High Performance Elite and Mass Strategies Competitive C entry key high h schools -- with strong math, science, foreign languages, arts, technology, independent research projects and entrepreneurship -- prepare students for leadership in globalized world Rural-urban inequalities large but PISA study shows students in poor rural schools do better in math than many Americans Source: Asia Society report, Math and Science Education in a Global Age: What the U.S Can Learn from China. 13
C. Reflections on International Benchmarking International Benchmarking: Lessons Learned 1. The growing global talent pool U.S. needs to step-up, keep track 2. Significant improvement is possible 3. Important policy levers and best practices 4. Excellence and equity can be combined 5. Debunk myths 6. Other countries learn from U.S. too 14
International Benchmarking: Future Needs, Unanswered Questions Standards: How to create small number of standards? What mechanisms drive standards effectively through systems? Accountability and assessment: Common challenges. University entrance exams and college readiness criteria can drive system but may be wrong goals/not adapting to changing world. Equity: Role of outside school supports. Why do second-generation immigrants perform like nativeborn in some countries but not the U.S.? Need stronger mechanisms for international sharing of best practices around specific critical policy issues. Resources OECD Education Publications (OECD.org/Education) NGA Benchmarking for Success http://www.nga.org/files/pdf/0812benchmarking.pdf Learning from World-Class Schools by Schleicher and Stewart. Educational Leadership, October 2008 Asia Society Publications (AsiaSociety.org/Education) New Skills for a Global Innovation Society Learning in a Global Age Math and Science Education in a Global Age: What the U.S. Can Learn from China Going Global: Preparing Our Students for an Interconnected World Expanding Horizons: Building Global Literacy in Afterschool Programs Creating a Chinese Language Program in Your School: An Introductory Guide 15