Happy is he who gets to know the reasons for things. Virgil (70-19 BCE) Roman poet. Insert photo collage Isaac Asimov: The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, "hmm... that's funny... [Science is] a great game. It is inspiring and refreshing. The playing field is the universe itself. Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898-1988) U. S. physicist. Nobel prize 1944.
Skilled and unskilled jobs 1950 Today 60% Unskilled 20% Semiskilled 20% Semiskilled 20% Skilled 15% Unskilled 65% Skilled
How 15-year-olds score in math South Korea 547 Canada 527 Japan 523 Germany 504 OECD average 500 France 496 Spain 480 United States 474 Source: OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2006.
U.S. science skills proficiency 2005 NAEP Only 27% of 4 th graders are considered proficient in science. 27% of 8 th graders are proficient 12 th grade science scores are lower than in 1996 Source: NAEP Science Skills Test 2005.
International competition India produces three times as many scientists and engineers as the U.S. China produces eight times as many. China and India are now preferred destinations for increasing numbers of multinational high-tech corporations. Source: Broken Pencil Productions.
Average PISA math score of top students Score of the top 10 th percentile, 15-year-olds olds, 2006 25th Korea Finland Switzerland Belgium Netherlands Czech Republic New Zealand Japan Canada Australia Germany Austria Denmark Iceland France Sweden United Kingdom Slovak Republic Poland Luxembourg Norway Hungary Ireland Spain United States Italy Portugal Greece Turkey Mexico 514 550 593 593 584 583 575 612 611 610 610 609 609 608 652 652 650 645 644 643 638 635 633 632 630 621 618 617 617 664 Note: The United States scores relatively l better on international tests in the early years (TIMSS) for fourth and eighth graders, which bolsters the argument of an achievement gap that gets more severe over the lifetime of a child; differences may not be statistically significant. Sources: OECD, McKinsey & Co.
United States spends more than any other country per point on PISA mathematics test School spending cost-effectiveness $ in cumulative spending per student per point on PISA mathematics, 2003 United States Italy Austria Switzerland Norway Denmark Iceland France Belgium Sweden Canada Japan Australia Portugal Netherlands Finland Germany Spain Ireland Korea Greece Hungary Czech Republic Poland Mexico Slovak Republic 40 30 52 50 48 83 77 74 128 123 120 118 112 112 112 105 103 100 98 96 165 162 153 151 150 142 The US spends $165 to get a point on PISA math, about 60% more than the OECD average The U.S. spends $165 to get a point on PISA math, about 60% more than the OECD average Sources: OECD, McKinsey & Co. Average 104
United States spends more public funds on K-12 education than most other services Public spending by area in the US (2006) $ billions 830 7 599 553 550 1 Health care and education are from all sources (local, state, federal); defense and Social 9 Security are primarily federal. 9 9 2 School administration and 12 centralized support services. Health Education Defense Social care (K-12) Security 3 Construction and land acquisition (84%), 54 capital equipment (16%). Sources: National Center for Education Statistics; US Census Bureau; OECD; GovernmentSpending.com.
U.S. Ranks 29 th in Science Worldwide 1. Finland 563 2. Hong Kong 542 3. Canada 534 4. China 532 5. Estonia 531 6. Japan 531 7. New Zealand 530 8. Australia 527 9. Netherlands 525 10. Liechtenstein 522 11. Korea 522 13. Germany 516 14. United Kingdom 515 20. Ireland 508 21. Hungary 504 OECD average 500 23. Poland 498 27. Iceland 491 28. Latvia 490 29. United States 489 Source: OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2005.
US GDP would be up to $2.3 trillion higher in 2008 had the United States succeeded in closing the achievement gap in the 15 years after A Nation at Risk was published in 1983 A International gap 2008 GDP gain $1.3 trillion - $2.3 trillion (9% -16% of 2008 GDP) What do we need to believe? The United States closed the performance gap with top performing countries (Korea, Finland) B Racial gap $310 billion - $525 billion (2% - 4% of 2008 GDP) Black and Latino students closed the performance gap with white students C Income gap $400 billion $670 billion (3% - 5% of 2008 GDP) Poor students with family incomes of less than $25,000 1 perform at the same levels as students from families earning more than $25,000 D Systems gap $425 billion - $710 billion (3% - 5% of 2008 GDP) Students in all states performing below the current average are brought up to the average level E Earnings potential 2008 earnings gain: $120 billion - $160 billion Black and Latino students closed the performancegap with white students Note A-Dbased on cross-country growth GDP growth model; all models assume gap was closed by 1998. E based on McKinsey models and Census data; model assumes gap was closed by 1998. 1 Approximately 125% of the poverty line max, qualifier for many government assistance programs.
Is Education the Key to U.S. Competitiveness? the facts and myths Vivek Wadhwa Visiting Scholar, UC-Berkeley Director of Research, Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization and Exec in Residence, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University Senior Research Associate Harvard Law School Senior Research Associate, Harvard Law School Columnist, BusinessWeek, Contributor TechCrunch
Are U.S. children really falling behind?
U.S. produces greatest number of High performing students (15-yr olds) in OECD
High percent countries are small, homogenous Note: States such as Massachusetts outperform or match all other countries
Sadly, U.S. also produces largest number of Poorly performing students
China graduates 600,000, India, 350,000, while U.S. graduates only 70,000 000 engineers every year? Note: China engineering graduation numbers include motor mechanics, CS, IT, and any degree labeled engineering g
Masters in Engineering, CS and IT
PhD s in engineering, CS and IT
If math/science education and engineering degrees were everything China should be the world leader in R&D the innovation hub of the planet and India R&D outsourcing shouldn t exist
R&D in China On-the-ground reality Massive investments in infrastructure, Massive subsidies for R&D Massive investments in technology parks Pressure on multi-nationals to move R&D to China Yet: Most R&D is actually western product localization. Hardly any innovation China is dependant on returnees for management/r&d
R&D in India On-the-ground reality India is the rapidly becoming a global R&D and innovation center Pharmaceutical Drug discovery, specialty pharmaceuticals, biologics, high value, bulk manufacturing, advanced intermediate manufacturing Aerospace In-flight entertainment, airline seat design, collision control/navigation control systems, fuel inverting controls, first-class cabin design Consumer Appliances/Semiconductors, etc. Design of next-generation washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, digital TV, cell phones, automobiles, tractors, locomotive motors All this, despite weak education system and graduation rates