Because of the high social relevance of an economics education, many countries now focus on the enhancement of economic competencies in schools. International results show strong deficits in basic economic knowledge, especially for students in upper secondary education, who usually enter higher education. Furthermore, it is not clear what effects…

Students in the United States and Japan from high and middle socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds are afforded greater academic opportunities due to the systemic presence of hegemony in public schools (Darvin and Norton in "J Lang Identity Educ" 13(2):111-117, 2014). Minority and immigrant students, the majority coming from low SES, are more…

Spanning multiple subjects and age groups, U.S. students rate poorly while Japanese students rate highly when subject to international testing. Japanese children complete twice as much homework as their U.S. counterparts and sometimes attend school on Saturdays. The literature review looks at motivation in both U.S. American and Japanese students…

During the last 50 years, private "feeder" schools in Japan came to dominate entry into elite colleges. Intense organizational competition shaped the organizational environment and changed the pathways available to social elites. Compared to Japan, elite private feeders in the US have failed to dominate pathways into elite colleges. In…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) More Good, Less Bad, and Still Need for Improvement: Latest International Test Reveals U.S. Progress in Math and…

Release of "A Nation at Risk Report" (1983) provoked citizens to embark on mission to improve schools, teaching, and learning. Evidence shows U.S. schools may not be in such dire shape as reported. Schools have shown they can prepare students for top universities but many do not graduate. To keep alive the promise of education reform and…

The relation between secondary and higher education is considered by 10 different authors in 10 country/area profiles: United States, England and Wales, France, West Germany, Sweden, Japan, the People's Republic of China, Latin America, and Africa. The systems of secondary and higher education are detailed for each country. The question of how the…

Because of close relations between the Philippines and the United States in the earlier years of this century, developments in the Philippines since that country achieved its independence in 1946 are of particular interest to Americans. An important aspect of the island nation's efforts in its first 15 years of complete self-government is the…