The Hill News

On Pearl Harbor Day 2010, America was hit with a bombshell.

Some say it rivals Sputnik, the 1957 Soviet satellite launch, in its alarming message about American education. Across the world, in 65 countries, 15-year-olds were administered a standardized test (PISA, or Program for International Student Assessment) measuring knowledge of reading, science and math. The winners in all three categories were students in Shanghai taking the test for the first time. Americans scored what can charitably be called in the range of average.

(See here for a chart ranking performance â€" Shanghai, as noted, at the top and Kyrgyzstan at the bottom). Korea â€" that would be South Korea â€" also did very well; we might try to figure out how to learn its secrets of success when the trade deal with that country wends its way through a fractious Congress.)

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