This study compares American and Korean curriculum standards, textbooks, and geometry items to help explain the consistent differences that have been found between the achievement levels of U.S. and Korean students in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) mathematics. Since PISA measures the mathematical proficiency of…

This edition of the Brown Center Report on American Education marks the first issue of volume three--and eleventh issue over all. The first installment was published in 2000, just as the Presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and Al Gore were winding down. Education was an important issue in that campaign. It has not been thus far in the current…

With the adoption of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2002, the federal government signaled its intention to close achievement gaps in K-12 education, particularly for minority students. While there has been surprising progress in educating disadvantaged students since the law was passed, according to a new report released today by Education…

In the study reported here, the authors examined the LEs (learning expectations) related to Grades 1 to 8 number and quantity in mathematics across several US states and high performing TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) Asian countries, including Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. The general strategy used is based on the topic…

This edition of the Brown Center Report marks the tenth issue of the series and the final issue of Volume II. The publication began in 2000 with Bill Clinton in the White House and the Bush-Gore presidential campaign building toward its dramatic conclusion. That first report was organized in a three-part structure that all subsequent Brown Center…

This study is examining student eligibility for and participation in alternate assessments, the technical quality of the alternate assessment instruments and implementation procedures, the alignment of assessments with content and achievement standards, and the use and effectiveness of alternate assessments in measuring student outcomes. The…

This report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) presents results from the Trial Urban District Assessment in science. Science results are based on representative samples of fourth- and eighth-grade public school students from the 17 urban districts that volunteered to participate in the 2009 assessment. Between 900 and…

Standards drive critical elements of the American educational system--the curricula that schools follow, the textbooks students read, and the tests they take. Similarly, standards establish the levels of performance that students, teachers and schools are expected to meet. To succeed in the 21st century, all students will need to perform to high…

This study analyzes the learning expectations related to grades 1-8 algebra across several U.S. states and high performing TIMSS Asian countries and regions, including Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. In order to narrow and focus the investigation, only one topic within the strand is carefully reported. Based on the official curriculum documents,…

Debates about the future of school mathematics in the United States often center on whether standards-based instruction is improving or undermining students' achievement. Critical for making progress in these debates is information about the actual nature of classroom practice in U.S. classrooms. This article focuses on one key element of…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) has tested large and representative samples of students from around the world to measure their math and science knowledge and skills. The results place U.S. 8th grade students below the international average in mathematics, with 20 countries scoring significantly higher than the U.S.…

It's unsettling to hear of credentialed school teachers who--ignorant of our principles and of so much more--are seduced by, and pass on, ludicrous and even subversive accounts of our history. Sandra Stotsky tells of curricula that equate white Americans with Nazis and of officials who discredit the Constitution as a license for slavery. She…