Bilingual children are advanced in cognitive development and metalinguistic awareness. Schools are powerful forces in children's development. Class size, the school's educational philosophy, teacher-pupil interaction, grouping practices, and the way computers are integrated into classroom learning experiences affect motivation and achievement in middle childhood. Teachers face special challenges in meeting the needs of children who have learning difficulties or special intellectual strengths. American pupils have fared unevenly in recent international comparisons of academic achievement.
Efforts are currently underway to upgrade the quality of American education.