May 3rd, 2016

Dear Reader,
Since the beginning of education reform in 1980, many have debated the best method to educate
students. Today, countries around the world have developed different systems based on their
own beliefs about the most effective methods. Modernization and technology have led to
increasing interaction among these education systems. With this interaction comes comparison
and competition. Some argue that The United States has fallen behind on the global scale of
academic rigor. With this in mind I began to question if it is true that the United States
education system is falling behind, what are other countries doing differently, and how can the
United States improve?
I have always been interested in other cultures, but I became especially interested in these
questions when I became friends with some students originally from Germany and France. I was
fascinated learning about the different types of education structures. It also became a relevant
question now that I am in college. The globally competitive job market is now frequently on my
mind, and as a result, The United States ability to compete.
The following work is the result of my findings. I do not expect that this will serve as a sole
source for your own investigation, but I hope that it will present some of the different styles of
education in the world. Perhaps it will generate new questions for you about the validity of the
ratings of education systems, the implications of a countrys education system for its citizens, or
how we initiate reforms. Whatever the case may be, I hope that this work proves a useful source
for your own inquiry.
Best,
Ruth

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Ruth Thomas
Ropko
UWRT 1102-041
3 May 2016
Education Across the Globe
The world has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. The Internet and
globalization have connected us like never before and have given rise to diverse societies. In this
global economy, countries must create competitive citizens in order to stay successful and
relevant, and the United States is no exception. Despite frequent education reform, the ranking of
the United States education system has remained relatively stagnant (Schmidt & Burroughs).
While the best methods to improve education are still under debate, the fact that the United
States education system is broken is not. Although education reform is a complex issue, the U.S.
can learn a great deal from the techniques of other countries.
Education reform is not a new issue for the United States. During the 1950s space race, schools
began to increase the focus on mathematics and science in the curriculum. In the 1970s, the U.S.
Department of Education was created (Futrell), and in the 1980s, the government published A
Nation of Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform to make education a top priority
(Futrell). When I was a senior in high school, North Carolina implemented Common Core
standards. As students we openly talked with teachers about how useless these standards were. I
felt they actually made our classrooms move backward, and it was discouraging. I wanted reform
that felt productive. The United States does try to adapt and reform to improve education. The
success of these reforms, however, has been minimal.

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Teachers are one aspect of the United States education system that needs improvement.

According to the Journal of Teacher Education there is a direct link between teacher education
programs, the quality of the teaching profession, and the viability of our education system
(Futrell). It makes perfect sense to me that teachers are a crucial aspect of our society. They form
and influence the education of our population. Despite this fact, I have witnessed the lack of
respect given to the teaching profession. There is a large contrast between the standards for
teaching programs in the United States and those in other countries. Teachers in the U.S. are
hired disproportionately from the lowest quartile of graduating high school and college
students (Smith). I feel embarrassed to share this, but as a college student, I can vouch that
people refer to education as an easy major. In contrast, the European Union adopted legislation
in 1999 requiring all teachers to have a masters degree in order to teach in primary in secondary
schools (Futrell). Teachers in Finland are also required to have a three-year masters degree,
funded by the state, in order to teach (Tung). I think teaching is a difficult profession, and the
extra experience would be a useful addition to the United States requirements.
The lower standards for teachers in the United States could be influenced by the shortage
of people pursuing teaching degrees. This shortage could be due to the low pay and prestige
associated with teachers in the United States. Most high performing countries pay beginning
teachers comparably to beginning engineers (Tucker). I have friends who have a passion for
teaching, but they worry about being able to support themselves on a teachers salary. The
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that in the United
States, teachers spend more time teaching than teachers in any other country, but salaries of
teachers in the United States are below the OECD average (OECD), see Figure 1. Some of my
friends have even chosen to not pursue teaching, because they want a family. I would say that

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money is not important, what is important is that you love what you are studying, but at the same
time, I understand they are trying to be realistic and responsible with their future.
Figure 1 (Chart D.3.1.) Teachers salaries relative to earnings for similarly educated workers
(2013) Salaries of lower secondary teachers teaching general programs in public institutions

Source: OECD. Education at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris,
2015. PDF file. Web. 29 April 2016. Chart D.3.1.
The low pay and support for teachers also leads to a low retention rate of teachers in the
United States. My friends mother teaches in an elementary school, and she says she does not
even get a lunch break because they are understaffed. She feels mistreated and is considering
retiring early. Studies show that fifty percent of teachers leave the profession in less than five
years (Tucker). Thus not only do we have a problem finding high-quality teachers, we also
struggle to keep those we have in the field. I think as in other countries, the United States needs
to raise the standards for teachers, but also increase the salaries of teachers. A student is more
likely to choose a field where they feel they will be able to support themselves and earn what
they deserve for the amount of work required.

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Another change proponents of education reform would like to see is a change in the

amount of high-stakes testing in the United States. In an interview with the Stanford News
Service Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish education expert, said, If I could change one thing in policy, I
would seriously rethink the role of standardized testing. No high performing nation in the world
has been successful using the policies that the United States is using (Tung). Research has
identified the narrowing of curriculum in the presence of high-stakes testing. Teachers often
spend large portions of time on exercises that look like test items, returning to methods like
recall and recitation to prepare students for tests, reducing instructional practices that focus on
complex reasoning and problem solving (Darling-Hammond & Rustique-Forrester). In most of
my classes growing up, at least until sophomore year when most classes have a state final exam,
we worked on practice exams, or questions that would be similar to the test, during every class
period. Finland, which is ranked fifth in the world for its education system, has moved away
from high-stakes testing. They rely on formative assessment throughout the year to encourage
student growth and self-assessment (Hendrickson). Formative assessment provides feedback and
suggestions for improvement. Research has shown that this style of supportive, positive feedback
increases student learning and feelings of self-efficacy and in general leads to better student
performance (OECD). I cannot speak for everyone, but I know I tend to work harder in and
enjoy classes with supportive teachers much more than those with critical teachers. I generally
give up early in critical environments, because I feel that there is no point in trying, and I feel
less intelligent and insecure. Because I know this about myself, the idea of these feedback based
assessments intrigues me. The effects of reducing the amount of high-stakes testing in the United
States curriculum and increasing formative assessment should be measured and considered as
another potential improvement.

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Unfortunately, these problems in the United States education system seem to unequally

harm students in lower socio-economic levels. The United States is one of the least equitable in
terms of distribution of educational resources between schools (Beese & Liang). This can result
in an understaffed school. Because teachers are so critical, the quality of teachers in different
school systems greatly impacts the prospects of students in those districts. The prevalence of
high-stakes tests that I mentioned earlier also creates a problem when they are used to evaluate
schools. This can cause qualified teachers leaving schools with low ratings. One principal asked,
Is anybody going to dedicate their lives to a school that has already been labeled a failure?
(Darling-Hammond & Rustique-Forrester). Teachers are even less likely to dedicate their lives to
these schools with low ratings as they are associated with under-funded districts where they will
juggle ten roles and lack adequate resources. These findings are concerning considering the
United States has more than twice the rate of childhood poverty of most European nations (Beese
& Liang). This difference in poverty rates among countries can be seen below in Figure 2. By
improving the United States teacher quality and testing strategy, the level of educational
inequality among socio-economic levels could also improve. With this improvement, the U.S.
could offer a quality education to students of all economic levels.
Figure 2. Poverty Rate. Total, Ratio, 2012.

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Source: OECD (2016), Poverty Rate (indicator). Web. 29 April 2016.

Emulating the strategies of other countries is not as simple as flipping a switch. One has
to take into account the economic, cultural, and political diversity of different countries. The
United States has a larger and more diverse population than most other countries in the world
(Hendrickson). Although some education systems may not be suitable for the United States, the
country could benefit from considering the implementation of different policies around the
world. Increasing teacher standards and support and reconsidering of the use of high-stakes
testing would be two starting points to begin an important process of change in the U.S.
education system.

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Works Cited
Beese, Jane, and Xin Liang. Do resources matter? PISA science achievement comparisons
between students in the United States, Canada and Finland. Improving Schools. 13.3
(2010): 266-279. Web. 24 March 2016.

Darling-Hammond, Linda, and Elle Rustique-Forrester. The Consequences of Student Testing

for Teaching and Teacher Quality. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of
Education. 104.2 (2005): 289-319. Web. 24 March 2016.
Futrell, Mary Hatwood. Transforming Teacher Education to Reform Americas P-20 Education
System. Journal of Teacher Education. 61.5 (2010): 432-440. Web. 29 March 2016.
Hendrickson, Katie. Assessment in Finland: A Scholarly Reflection on One Countrys Use of
Formative, Summative, and Evaluative Practices. Mid-Western Educational
Researcher.25 (2013): 33-43. Web. 10 March 2016.
OECD. Education at a Glance 2014: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris, 2014. PDF
file. Web. 10 March 2016.
OECD. Education at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris, 2015. PDF
file, Chart D.3.1. Web. 29 April 2016.
OECD (2016), Poverty Rate (indicator). Web. 29 April 2016.
Schmidt, William and Nathan Burroughs. Puzzling Out PISA: What Can International
Comparisons Tell Us about American Education? American Educator. 39.1 (2015): 2431. Web. 12 March 2016.
Smith, Emma. Raising Standards in American Schools? Problems with Improving Teacher
Quality. Teaching and Teacher Education: an International Journal of Research and
Studies. 24.3 (2008): 610-622. Web. 23 March 2016.

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Tucker, Marc. Benchmarking the Worlds Best: Lessons local school leaders in this country can
draw from global pacesetting education systems. School Administrator. 69.8 (2012): 2326. Web. 24 March 2016.
Tung, Stephen. How the Finnish school system outshines U.S. education. Stanford Report. 20
January 2012. Web. 10 March 2016.