International Education Comparisons: How American Education Reform Is the New Status Quo

Authors

Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers

Abstract

The United States participates in international studies comparing school systems across the world. Reformers have largely ignored the lessons from these studies about what works best to educate children, and a strategy of test-based accountability has become the new status quo. This article analyzes the failed policy ideas reformers keep pushing on our schools that have been shown across the globe to be unsuccessful in the areas of school choice and competition, teacher quality and evaluation, an engaging curriculum, and equity. Research examines what top performing countries do to help students succeed, as well as what works in districts across our own country. Reformers in our nation must stop advocating for school policies that do not work and instead use information from international studies and examples from the United States to implement policies that will help us succeed and help us to reclaim the promise of public education.

Recommended Citation

Weingarten, Randi (2014) "International Education Comparisons: How American Education Reform Is the New Status Quo," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 26: Iss. 1, Article 8.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol26/iss1/8