The document discusses several issues regarding education in the US compared to other countries. It notes that while countries like China and South Korea are graduating high numbers of engineers, the US is declining in this field. Experts say the US needs to change how it educates engineering students and who it educates to stay competitive. It provides various statistics showing countries that outperform the US in areas like time spent in school, test scores, and graduation rates. Suggested changes include improving teacher training, making education more rigorous and focused on 21st century skills, increasing communication about higher education opportunities, and developing more effective school leadership.

3. Training of American Engineers Must Change, Experts Say “ Countries such as China and South Korea are graduating engineers in record numbers, while America's contribution to the field is on the decline. To stay competitive in the field, experts are saying that the way America educates its engineering students, and who it educates, must change.” - The Epoch Times

4. Did you know?

5. Sources: National Center for Education Statistics T.I.M.S.S. Boston College Country Days of School China 251 Korea 225 Japan 223 Taiwan 222 Israel 215 Switzerland 207 Italy 210 Russia 195 England 190 Canada 188 USA 180 International Average 193

8. “ 70% of American 8 th graders don’t read at 8 th grade levels” http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page

9. “ 93% of U.S. middle school science teachers have little or no training in science” http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page

11. “ Texas is one of only four states that haven't joined an effort to create common academic standards in English language arts and math.” http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/jun/01/texas-rejects-yardstick/

12. “ 24 countries outscore U.S. schools in math” http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page

13. http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page “ America’s high school graduate rate ranks 21 st internationally.”

14. “ 20 countries outscore U.S. Schools in science” http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page

18. “ Mr. Obama dipped into the rhetorical well of every president stretching back to Ronald Reagan. He offered a cliché-dense lecture about ‘world class standards’ and the need to wage academic achievement war on kids from India to South Korea: ‘It's time to prepare every child, everywhere in America, to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world.’” http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/edit234.shtml

19. “ America had 0% increase in number of bachelor’s and master’s degree awarded” http://www.greatschools.net/content/actionForEducation.page

23. According to Pubic Agenda, “Many believe that there is a lack of information and communication is a significant barrier to college participation and success. Many fear that there is a tremendous lack of information about higher education, especially among minority groups and/or students from families without high education levels.” http://www.publicagenda.org/files/pdf/campus_commons.pdf

25. “ To change something, someone has to change first” http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7v9caVCS07gC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=school+change+counseling&ots=JyUBIfSyO8&sig=XkuWlu8KrcV15f9fmsaQJk7zHy8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

27. “ Local leaders must also, for example, be able to help their colleagues understand how the externally-initiated reform might be integrated into local improvement efforts, provide the necessary supports for those whose practices must change and must win the cooperation and support of parents and others in the local community. So “effective” or “successful” leadership is critical to school reform. http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/ReviewofResearch-LearningFromLeadership.pdf

28. “ Our nation’s underperforming schools and children are unlikely to succeed until we get serious about leadership.” http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/preparingschoolleaders_finalreport.pdf

29. “ Proponents of the push for common academic standards say a major goal of the benchmarks is for U.S. students to be ‘internationally competitive,’ while moving past the days -- as critics contend -- of states setting the bar too low and students not adequately being prepared to compete in a global economy.” http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/jun/01/texas-rejects-yardstick/

30. Children are left behind…why?

36. Our students must become more competitive and strive to higher levels in the professional & diverse world.

37. “ Research is unequivocal that there are big differences amongst our teachers in their ability to take kids from wherever they are when they enter a classroom and grow their knowledge and skills. Kids who have three strong teachers in a row literally soar, no matter what their family background. Kids who have even two weak teachers in a row never recover. So, teachers matter a lot.” http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/ABridgetoSchoolReformfinalPDF.pdf

38. U. S. schools must establish productive learning environments and raise the educational standards in order to stay in the same range as other countries.

39. “ Mrs. Obama said she saw this as an educational initiative, and hoped that children ‘will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.’ A symbolic gesture, to be sure, but a good one.” http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/edit234.shtml

40. “ Change is a process, not an event” http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7v9caVCS07gC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=school+change+counseling&ots=JyUBIfSyO8&sig=XkuWlu8KrcV15f9fmsaQJk7zHy8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

43. “ Understanding the point of view of the participants in the change process, is critical.” http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7v9caVCS07gC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=school+change+counseling&ots=JyUBIfSyO8&sig=XkuWlu8KrcV15f9fmsaQJk7zHy8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

44. “ There is now widespread agreement among educational reformers and researchers that the primary role of the principal is to align all aspects of schooling to support the goal of improving instruction so that all children are successful.” http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/preparingschoolleaders_finalreport.pdf

45. Recent research using professional learning community as a variable has shown powerful associations with teacher practice. This evidence supports the present widespread interest in improving leadership as a key to the successful implementation of large-scale reforms. http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/ReviewofResearch-LearningFromLeadership.pdf

46. Effective school leadership requires a range of practices focused on and mediated through individual staff, organizational conditions, and the school community. http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/preparingschoolleaders_finalreport.pdf

47. “ To move forward, leaders must recognize the need for more effective communications and consensus building, and they need to adopt sensible, practical ways for higher education communities to talk through their priorities and grapple with realistic solutions.” Report prepared by John Immerwahr, Jean Johnson and Paul Gasbarra of Public Agenda http://www.publicagenda.org/files/pdf/campus_commons.pdf

48. “ Leadership is an essential ingredient for ensuring that every child in America gets the educa ­ tion they need to succeed. Indeed, education leadership has been called the “ bridge ” that can bring together the many different reform efforts in ways that practically nothing else can. Teachers are on the front lines of learning. But principals at the school level, and superinten ­ dents are the key factors towards change.” http://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/ABridgetoSchoolReformfinalPDF.pdf

49. International students are reaping the benefits of obtaining a degree from the U.S. schools while U. S. citizens are settling for an average college degree. www.daggett.com.pdf/globalization.pdf

50. Compassion, unity and collaboration!

51. We can make a difference…… “ More than ever, it's time that social justice educators renew our commitment to develop a curriculum that addresses the central issues of our time. We need to ‘green’ the schools in every imaginable way.” http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/edit234.shtml