Myths, Fraud and the Attack on America's Schools, David Berliner and Bruce Biddle say many of the charges about public education are simplistic, misleading or wrong. In fact, many standardized tests show modest gains. Since then, SAT scores remained stable for the white middle class and have steadily increased for minority students.
American schools fail in comparative studies of student achievement.
Many countries in Asia and Europe use stiff national exams to sort out the students who will receive university preparation. These are the young people who are tested. Cultural differences are large, also, since many American teens have after-school sports, lessons, and jobs, unlike those in many other countries. In college, American students perform equally well with their counterparts in other countries. America spends more money on education than other countries.