1. Need For Substantial Change in American Education By Staci Mack

2. The elements described are the critical systems necessary to ensure student mastery of 21st century skills. 21st Century Support Systems

3. Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge

4. 1/3 of US students drop out of high school before completing a high school diploma.

5. 2/3 of US students are behind in their reading level by the time they reach 8th grade.

6. Most states use assessments that inflate the proficiency scores of children when compared to a nationally standardized test.

7. U.S. children have consistently scored lower in math and science than children from other developed countries.

8. The dollar value of a high school diploma in terms of real wages continues to fall.

9. Only by setting clear goals that incorporate 21st century skills can high schools truly prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education, workplaces, and community life. Only by setting clear goals that incorporate 21st century skills can high schools truly prepare students to succeed in postsecondary edu

10. In 2003 a study was conducted by the UNICEF that took the averages from 5 different international education studies, the researchers ranked the US number 18 out of 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its educational system.

11. Need for change Country School days China Korea Japan Taiwan Israel Switzerland Italy Russia England Canada United States International Average 251 225 223 222 215 207 210 195 190 188 180 193

12. Flat science scores and increasing international competition remind us that we can’t afford to be complacent.

13. Other countries work on the concept , not just the procedure.

14. Fewer 15 year olds in the United States are taking Physics (28%)and Chemistry (40%) than students in other developed countries (78 and 73%).

15. What policies and practices do countries put in place to lessen the negative impact on student’s performance?If we focus on the data, we may be to uncover what is working in other countries and how that may work here.