“Misadventures in the Common Core”

I wrote this essay in response to problems I’ve seen in the third grade math Common Core worksheets that my daughter has brought home.

The U.S. ranks 17th in educational performance

According to the report, The Learning Curve, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the United States ranks seventeenth out of forty countries ranked in overall educational performance. Finland ranks first. The top ten countries in educational performance are:

1. Finland
2. South Korea
3. Hong Kong SAR
4. Japan
5. Singapore
6. United Kingdom
7. Netherlands
8. New Zealand
9. Switzerland
10. Canada.

The U.S. ranks 11th in fourth grade math

According to Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, in 2011 the average United States fourth-grade reading score was 541, which makes the United States rank eleventh out of fifty countries ranked in that category. Singapore ranks first, with a score of 606. Here is the list of the top eleven countries and their scores:

 

The U.S. ranks 6th in fourth grade reading

According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, in 2011 the average United States fourth-grade reading score was 556, which makes the United States rank sixth out of forty-nine participating countries. Hong Kong ranks first, with a score of 571. The average score for all countries was 500. Here is the list of the top eleven countries and their scores:

The U.S. ranks 12th in age of first sex education

According to the 2005 Durex Global Sex Survey, the average age at which Americans have their first sex education is 12.5 years, which makes the United States tied for twelfth with Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom out of forty-one countries ranked in that category. Germany ranks first, with the average age of first sex education at 11.3 years.

The U.S. ranks 23rd in PISA science score

According to the Programme for International Student Assessment, American students scored 502 in the science component of the 2009 PISA assessment. That was enough for the United States to rank twenty-third out of sixty-five ranked economies. China-Shanghai ranked first with a score of 575.

The U.S. ranks 54th in education expenditures

According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2005 the United States spent an estimated 5.30% of its GDP on education, which makes the United States tied for fifty-fourth in that category with Belize, Jamaica, and the Netherlands, out of  one hundred eighty-two ranked countries. Kiribati ranks first, at 17.80%.

The U.S. ranks 14th in arts participation

According to the World Values Survey, 15.1% of Americans are actively involved in an arts, music, or education association, which makes the United States rank fourteenth out of fifty-four countries ranked in that category. New Zealand rans first, at 25.5%.

The U.S. ranks 12th in college faculty to student ratio

According to the OECD, the United States has an average of 66.1 teaching staff members for every 1,000 college students, which is enough to make the United States rank 12th out of 24 ranked nations in that category. Sweden ranks first, with 114.2 teaching staff for every 1,000 college students.

Entry by Dave Bleier.

The U.S. ranks 8th in expenditure on education

According to the OECD 10.0% of the government expenditure in the United States is spent on education, which makes the United States rank eighth out of twenty-eight ranked nations in that category. Mexico ranks first with 15.1%.

Entry by Katie Mibaum.