From the Nov. 22, 1996 Daily Report Card:
-> *1   "PURSUING EXCELLENCE:"  AN INTERNATIONAL MATH/SCIENCE STUDY
-> The content of American math courses and the quality of the
-> teachers partially explain why U.S. students score below average in
-> international comparisons, according to a new report issued by the
-> U.S. DoEd's National Center for Education Statistics.
->    "The data appear to be telling us that we need to examine
-> what's actually going on in the school and the classroom," said Ed
-> Sec Richard Riley.  "We have bright, dedicated, well-educated
-> teachers, but compared to Japan and Germany, they get little
-> practical training or mentoring, and a little opportunity to work
-> closely with other teachers to improve teaching."
->    Data from the Third International Mathematics and Science
-> Study (TIMSS), which examined eighth-grade math and science
-> teaching, learning, curriculum and achievement in 41 countries, found
-> that topics taught in U.S. eighth-grade math classrooms are at a
-> seventh-grade level by international standards.  The study also
-> reported that the content of U.S. math classes requires less
-> high-level thought than classes in Germany and Japan and that
-> U.S. math teachers' goal is to teach students how to do
-> something, while Japanese teachers' goal is to help them
-> understand math concepts.
->    According to the report, American teachers generally are
-> familiar with the rigorous standards prepared by the National
-> Council of Teacher of Mathematics, but teachers in other
-> countries, especially Japan, are doing a better job of actually
-> teaching tougher material.
->    Major differences exist in teacher training among the
-> countries.  The report found that new Japanese and German
-> teachers receive a long-term structured apprenticeship in their
-> profession, which is not available for American teachers.  From the
-> report:  "U.S. teachers lack the long and carefully mentored
-> introduction to teaching that Japanese and German teachers
-> receive."
->    Riley urged colleges and universities to examine how
-> teachers are prepared and recommended that guidelines from the
-> National Commission on Teaching and America's Future be tapped as a
-> "blueprint" of how to proceed.  According to a DoEd press
-> release, the commission has called for high standards, more
-> opportunities for apprenticeships, mentoring by master teachers and
-> work schedules that permit ongoing professional development.   The
-> WASH POST reports on a response issued by the National
-> Science Teachers Association, which stated that teachers require more
-> training throughout their careers and more time during the school day
-> to plan lessons (Sanchez, 11/21.)  "Students cannot
-> achieve high levels of performance without good teachers, and
-> good teachers need professional development that allows them to
-> constantly update their knowledge and skills," said Joanne
-> Vasquez, the group's president.
->    Riley also announced DoEd plans to launch a series of
-> regional and state workshops on the results of the study, "with an
-> emphasis on successful practices that illustrate more rigorous
-> content and teaching methods."  A summary of the report will be
-> distributed to business and education leaders and the nation's
-> local PTA chapters, notes the release.
->    Other findings from the report:  American students are above
-> average in life sciences and environmental issues, average in
-> fractions, algebra and physics and struggle with measurement and
-> geometry; heavy T.V. watching was prevalent in Japan, where
-> students produced some of the highest scores; U.S. students spend
-> more classroom time on math and science than students in both
-> Japan and Germany; there was little difference in how U.S. boys and
-> girls scored in both math and science; and most nations have a
-> national curriculum in math and science, which the U.S. does
-> not.
->    Christopher Cross, president of the Washington, D.C.-based
-> Council for Basic Education, commented that "The problem is that,
-> although many students are raising their knowledge and skill
-> levels incrementaly by taking more rigorous courses, math courses are
-> still being taught in the same ineffective ways; as distinct topics
-> with no attempts made to introduce concepts of algebra and geometry
-> in the early grades and to all students."
->    The report is based on exams given to students in all of the
-> participating countries, teacher surveys, a review of each
-> country's math and science curricula and classroom videotapes
-> that show how teachers instruct in math and science.
->    The report, "Pursuing Excellence," is available on the
-> DoEd's web site at www.ed.gov/NCES/timss.  Printed copies are
-> available while they last from the National library of Education at
-> 800/424-1616 (in D.C., 219-1651).
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