Countries outscoring the U.S. included Japan, England, and Australia. And that increase was due largely to foreign students on temporary visas. But the problems aren't limited to science and math. Despite years of efforts to improve literacy, fourth-grade reading levels declined during the 1990s in 18 out of 36 states, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress, a federal report card released earlier this month. Seasoned entrepreneurs agree.
Few answers are easy when it comes to education reform.
There's also little consensus on how to pay for such universal goals as smaller class sizes or better-qualified teachers. And there's little agreement on whether standardized testing is a good thing. But some hopeful signs beckon. While every governor would undoubtedly list education as a top priority, some states, such as Michigan, have begun to take real action. In addressing the conference at the Kennedy School, Michigan Governor Engler made it clear that those steps weren't motivated purely by altruism.