International Perspectives on U.S.

Education Policy and Practice:

What Can We Learn from

High-Performing Nations?

With support from

 I. A Changing World Requires Changing Skills

On April 27-28 2010, Asia Society and the Student Assessment (PISA), the U.S. ranked
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) twenty-fifth in math and twenty-first in science in
convened a symposium of six countries, which are 2006 and fifteenth in reading in 2003.3 And the
either top ranked in international comparisons of challenges ahead for the U.S. will become even
educational achievement or have made significant greater as large countries like China and India
recent improvements in performance, to share provide education to a large proportion of their
their experiences of educational reform with a populations. But this is also a moment of
group of U.S. state and national educational unprecedented opportunity. The reauthorization
leaders. The meeting built on Asia Society’s of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
history of organizing conferences and delegations and the Obama administration’s commitment of
to examine international best practices in resources through its Race to the Top and i3
education and CCSSO’s leadership in establishing initiatives are encouraging fundamental rethinking
common core standards among states, a step itself of the K-12 education system.
influenced by international studies of
achievement.1 The purpose of the meeting was to The discussions at the symposium were rich and
discuss what have been the key drivers of wide-ranging.4 Overall, international experience
educational improvement in these six countries demonstrates that (a) major improvement on a
(Singapore, Finland, England, China, Australia, wide scale is possible within the time frame of a
and Canada) and what are the lessons learned for few years; (b) countries use a different mix of
the U.S. as it seeks to ensure that all students can strategies because their contexts are different, but
meet these common standards and, more broadly, there are critical common elements; and (c)
are prepared for the twenty-first century global success requires creating systems – there are no
economy. This report is intended to make the silver bullets. Some of these nations’ reforms
discussion available to a wider American audience. have been in place for more than a decade, others
are within a few years of inception. All are
Recognizing that education will be key to considered works in progress, because a rapidly
economic growth in a global knowledge and changing world requires constantly evolving skills.
innovation-based economy and that low Most of the international participants have
educational performance exacts measurable studied and visited U.S. educational institutions
economic costs, countries around the world are and, from an international perspective, the U.S. is
focusing on increasing graduation rates, raising widely viewed as a leader in educational
achievement, making educational systems more innovation but a failure in taking successful
equitable, and rethinking the skills needed for the practice to scale. A major lesson learned and a
21st century.2 The dramatic educational gains recurring theme of the discussion was that the
made by other nations over the past two decades strategies employed to move a system from bad to
are such that the U.S. dropped from first to tenth adequate were not the same, and indeed might be
in the world in the proportion of young adults antithetical to, the strategies needed to move from
with a high school degree or equivalent in 2006, good to great.
while on OECD’s Program of International

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 II. The Search for High and Equitable Achievement

The six participating countries discussed the key school system has been significantly changed over
drivers of their school reform – how and why the past decade. Reform strategies have evolved
they undertook certain strategies, with what over time. The government of Margaret Thatcher
results. established national standards in reading and math
and abolished school districts, devolving authority
Australia: Australia, a federal system of six states to local schools. Then the government of Tony
and two territories, is a relatively high-performing Blair, with its emphasis on public sector reform,
country on international assessments, but emphasized clear target setting accompanied by
concerned about growing competition from other data and professional development. These
countries that are improving faster and its relative strategies were initially successful in raising
lack of equity, Australia has recently (2008) reading and math scores nationwide (from 63%
undertaken a major program of reform. This reaching the approved standard at age 11 to 80%
includes the development of a national curriculum reaching the standard in 2004) and increasing
in all major subjects (English, mathematics, scores on international assessments but then hit a
science, history, geography, world languages, and plateau for several years. So a new stage
the arts), the first federal system to do so; new developed that focused more deeply on school
assessments in literacy and numeracy and sample capacity building, the quality and effectiveness of
assessments in other subjects; significant new teachers, recruiting and training school leaders,
financial resources; and a school reporting service and pairing low-performing schools with high-
(MySchool.com), which includes private as well as performing ones to transfer best practice.7,8
public schools.5
Finland: Schools have played an important role
Singapore: When Singapore became independent in transforming Finland from a traditional
in 1965, it was a poverty–stricken island, with no industrial-agrarian nation into a modern
natural resources, low education levels and innovation-based knowledge economy. In the
conflicting ethnic groups. Now it has world-class 1980s, Finland had a tracked and low-achieving
math, science, and technical education, and has education system that was well below the level of
attracted high-tech industries, global banks, other European countries. Today, Finland is the
petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries by highest achieving country on PISA international
closely linking its economic development strategy tests of student achievement, has very equitable
and its education system. Its initial education outcomes (less than 5% variation in performance
strategies focused on nation building (bringing between schools), and a graduation rate of 96%,
together its three main cultural and linguistic all achieved with moderate overall spending. The
groups) and on math, science and technology. Finnish approach is quite distinct. Although the
Since 1997, its Thinking Schools, Learning Nation curriculum framework is set at the national level,
plan has taken the education system to the next the design of the curriculum is left to teachers.
stage, emphasizing global 21st century skills for The Finnish system places enormous emphasis on
students, greater school autonomy combined with and trust in high-quality teachers. Teaching is a
school quality management processes and awards, highly admired profession by young Finns
and a sophisticated system of recruiting and because of the autonomy and responsibility it
developing excellent teachers and school leaders – entails. Only one in ten applicants is accepted
to produce “future-ready Singaporeans.”6 into teaching. This emphasis on high-quality
teachers is combined with a systematic early
England: A country with some of the world’s intervention system whenever a child falls behind,
oldest universities but relatively low achievement individualized learning plans, a philosophy of
compared with other industrial countries and “teach less, test less, learn more,” and high
significant inequities based on traditional social quality vocational as well as academic paths in
distinctions and new immigration, England’s upper secondary school. While many other

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countries are trying to improve their achievement performing schools from 20% to under 5%,
through focusing on one or two subjects, raised high school graduation from 68% to 79%,
standardization, and test-based accountability, the improved teacher morale and reduced the attrition
“Finnish way” has only light national direction, a rate of new teachers by two-thirds. While the
broad and individualized curriculum that initiative did not achieve all of its goals, there was
emphasizes creativity and a global outlook, and significant improvement in a four- year period.
gives trust-based responsibility to excellent Dubbing their initiative, “results without rancor
teachers.9,10 or ranking”, the designers of the Ontario reform
argued against the “fallacy that heavy-handed
Canada: Canada has a highly decentralized accountability can create success.”11
federal system with no national Ministry of
Education. Standards and curriculum are set at China: The world’s largest education system,
the province level. Ontario, the largest province in serving 20% of the world’s students (200 million
terms of population, with 2 million students, 27% in elementary and secondary education) with less
of whom are immigrants, was characterized in the than 2% of the world’s education resources,
1990s by educational stagnation, labor unrest, and China has rapidly expanded its basic education
strong public criticism of teachers. A new system as its economy has grown. A new 2020
government introduced a set of reforms in 2003 Education Plan issued this year emphasizes
with the goal of increasing literacy, numeracy, and making one year of preschool education and nine
high school graduation. These reforms, which had years of basic education universal. It also focuses
a strong focus on building capacity both in the on promoting equity, especially in rural areas and
Ontario Department of Education and in schools for those children who have migrated to the cities,
and among teachers, increased the proportion of with the goal of having 90% of students in upper
students achieving the 6th grade provincial secondary school by 2020. China is also
standards in reading, writing and math from 55% developing a broader 21st century curriculum,
in 2003 to 67% among English-speaking students strengthening the quality of schools, and training
and 80% among French-speaking students in teachers to use ICT.12
2006-7. They also reduced the number of low-

III. Investing in Teachers and School Leaders

Developing high common standards is an goal of providing for every child the same good
important step but standards are not self teacher we would want for our own child. Key
implementing. Attracting, maintaining, and elements of a comprehensive system and
supporting high-quality teachers and school examples of international best practice include:
leaders is critical to enabling students to reach
high standards and for driving schools forward. Recruitment: Singapore selects prospective
Many countries have taken steps to strengthen the teachers from the top one third of their secondary
quality of their teacher workforce. A high-quality school class. Strong academics are essential but
teacher workforce is not due to some vague so is a commitment to the profession and to
cultural respect for teachers but is a result of serving diverse students. Trainees receive a
deliberate policy choices. High-performing stipend equivalent to 60% of a teacher’s salary
countries build their human resource systems by while in training and commit to teaching for a
putting energy up front - in recruiting, preparing, minimum of three years. Singapore also recruits
and supporting good teachers - rather than on the mid-career candidates, believing their work
back end of reducing teacher attrition and firing experience is valuable to students. China too pays
weak teachers. They also systemically identify and significant attention to recruiting strong
nurture leadership talent. There is much candidates to become teachers through its
innovation internationally in this area, with the “gardeners project” and gives scholarships to

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young people who live in rural areas to become Professional Development: According to
teachers there. In Finland, teaching is now a Malcolm Gladwell13, it takes a professional
highly sought after profession –only one in ten roughly 10,000 hours before they feel expert at
applicants are accepted into teacher preparation their job. So regular professional development
programs after two rounds of selection. A critical from beginning teaching to advanced practice is
condition for attracting the most able young essential for effective teaching and learning. The
people into teaching is that teachers’ work is seen question is how to link effective forms of
as an independent and respected profession rather professional development to the instructional
than a mere technical implementation of agenda of the school and to do so at scale, for all
externally mandated standards and tests. In teachers. England and Canada had centrally
England, a series of steps were taken to raise the organized professional development workshops
status of the teaching profession: a sophisticated as a core part of their literacy and math initiatives.
advertising campaign recruited new candidates; The province of Victoria in Australia ties
teacher awards programs on television raised the professional development directly to school
profile of teaching; alternate school-based routes improvement goals. China has a long tradition of
into teaching were allowed to compete with weekly teacher research groups that focus on
traditional university teacher training programs; classroom improvement. In Finland, teachers
and bonuses were used to attract teachers to decide on their own professional development
commit to teaching in high-need communities. needs, while in Singapore, where 100 hours of
The result was that teaching went from 92nd to a professional development are guaranteed each
top career choice within five years. In all these year, part is required study and observation, and
countries, attention to recruitment and induction part is of the teachers own choosing. In order to
into the profession, means far lower attrition rates make time for teachers to engage in deep
among new teachers than in the U.S. where improvement of their practice, Singapore’s policy
attrition rates for teachers in their first five years approach of “teach less, learn more” frees up time
of teaching reach fifty percent in some areas. in the school day for professional development
as well as planning and working with students
Teacher preparation: Teacher education is outside the classroom. Generally, teachers in Asia
simultaneously the worst problem and best and Europe spend fewer hours teaching classes
solution. There is considerable variation in and more on professional development, providing
approaches to modernizing teacher education. In feedback to students individually, and
Singapore, China, and Finland, the traditional collaboratively diagnosing problems and designing
teacher preparation programs are accepted and solutions than do U.S. teachers. The trade-off for
valued and adaptations to changing skill needs are this tends to be larger class sizes.
made within the institutional framework. In
Canada, the teacher education institutions were Compensation and Evaluation: International
regarded as too hard to change and the reformers studies show that entry level salaries need to be
ignored them and focused primarily on roughly comparable to those of other jobs that
professional development of existing teachers. In employ graduates in order to attract high-quality
England, creation of alternate routes and graduates into teaching as a career. Beyond the
competition with traditional providers, was the entry level, working conditions - being treated as a
change strategy. Whatever the institutional base, professional, having the opportunity to work with
teacher preparation programs are placing more colleagues, and the perception of a career ladder -
emphasis on guided practice in classroom settings seem more important than salary per se. How
from the very beginning of training; greater teachers are evaluated, by whom and whether any
attention to using data and assessment to guide compensation is tied to evaluation, is a contested
instruction; and the need to prepare students for area in many countries and there is great variation
the global context and the “21st century” skills of in practices. Typically, principals do evaluations
problem-solving and creativity. and this can alienate teachers if they do not
believe the evaluation is based on real knowledge

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of teaching practice. Finland and Canada, on the School Leadership and also developed programs
one hand, do not believe there is empirical for aspiring leaders and peer support mechanisms
evidence to support merit pay approaches, but for new head teachers (principals) in their first
have extensive principal and teacher two years. China has two main university-based
conversations about student progress. Chinese centers on school leadership, one for primary and
and Singaporean teachers, on the other hand, one for secondary schools that run extensive
receive bonuses for performance. In Singapore, executive training sessions for current principals
teachers’ performance is appraised annually by based on leadership training practices in other
several people and on multiple measures, sectors and other countries. In Australia,14 the
including classroom delivery, collaboration with state of Victoria has developed a systematic series
parents and community groups, and contribution of leadership development opportunities for
to their colleagues and the school as a whole. aspiring leaders, assistant principals and
principals. In Singapore, leadership talent among
Teacher Distribution: For those countries that teachers is identified early and these teachers are
have a uniformly strong profession, such as moved into middle management and then
Finland, this issue becomes relatively assistant principal roles with accompanying
unimportant. However, larger countries do have experiences and training. Then, prospective
to pay attention to teacher distribution. China principals spend six months at the Leaders in
staffs its rural schools by giving scholarships to Education program at the National Institute of
people in rural areas to train as teachers. Rural Education. The focus of principal training is on
teachers also earn 10% more and may have innovation and school transformation and
housing built for them too. They receive long includes a project to revamp some aspect of their
distance professional development through current school as well as a two-week trip to study
satellite television, internet, and through the a significant innovation elsewhere in the world.
organization of schools into clusters with one
central resource center for materials and The roles of teachers are changing. Teachers are
assistance. The Australian federal government now expected to prepare knowledge workers not
also gives financial incentives to teach in rural factory workers, to help every child succeed not
areas, away from the coasts where most young just the “easy to teach”, to adapt to and harness
Australians prefer to live. Bonuses to teach in new technologies, and to teach higher order
hard-to staff urban schools are a common cognitive skills. For all these reasons, we will need
practice globally. even higher quality teachers in the future than in
the past. There may be a need for a more
Principals: At the same time that most countries differentiated labor forces with fewer, higher
are establishing national standards, they are also quality and better paid teachers rather than the
devolving more authority for meeting those recent approach of hiring large numbers of
standards to the school level. This has brought teachers to reduce class size, a strategy that has
increasing attention to the importance of effective shown to be an unproductive educational
recruitment and training of prospective principals. investment.
England established the National College of

IV: Driving Equity

The long-term costs of educational failure are GDP.15 So, while social background and
high both for individuals and society. A fair and economic conditions affect student academic
inclusive educational system, on the other hand, is performance universally, every country aspires to
one of the most powerful levers to make society have both strong academic performance and high
more equal and improving the level of cognitive equity in results, tempering if not virtually
skills in a population has a significant effect on eliminating the relationship between ethnicity,

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class and social status on the one hand and strategies in some countries, are significant budget
academic performance on the other. The U.S. expenditures but have shown little impact on
does very poorly on international tests compared performance. Perhaps the most systemic
with other countries in that it is both relatively approach to intervention is in Finland where a
low-performing and highly inequitable in results. major focus of teacher training is on teaching
What are some of the approaches that have been students with different skills levels, and a
shown to mitigate the impact of social sequence of intensifying interventions, in and
background on achievement and improve beyond the classroom, catches those students
performance among low-income students in other who are behind. In fact, most students in Finland
countries? receive special help at some point in their
educational careers. As a result only 1% of
Effective systems: High-performing and high Finnish 15 year-olds lack basic reading skills.18
equity countries have built educational systems
that serve all students effectively. Key elements Outside school supports: Research has clearly
include common high standards that articulate shown the significance of cognitive and emotional
learning outcomes and make it clear to students development in the pre-school years and the
and teachers what educational excellence is. These benefits of early childhood education on success
standards are coupled with increasing in school. Most countries therefore are expanding
decentralization of authority to schools, early childhood services. In addition, countries
accompanied by accountability. There is also a are developing supports for later in life. England,
strong and systematic focus on strengthening the for example, a country with considerable
teaching profession (see previous section). childhood poverty, is trying to integrate a range of
children’s services with education. In Finland,
Structural reforms: The design of school systems inside school and outside school supports are
can itself powerfully influence outcomes. Early relatively seamless. While Asian education systems
tracking in elementary and lower secondary have the benefit of more stable families than
schools or lack of alternative options in upper many western countries, in Singapore, schools
secondary schools or extreme socio-economic work with community groups to create family-like
disparity between schools are all associated with supports for those areas where stable two-parent
increased inequity. Structural changes can families do not exist.
therefore produce significant progress. Poland,
for example, which abolished separate tracked Targeting Resources: The United States is
schools before age 16 in 1999, reduced the school unusual in its heavy reliance on local wealth to
failure rate from 50% to 17% within five years. finance education. Many countries have relatively
equitable expenditures across schools or have
School-based interventions: There are a range mechanisms for targeting resources on
of classroom interventions that have been shown disadvantaged students or geographic areas. In
to increase academic achievement for low-income China for example, where local and provincial
students, especially in the area of reading, the best finances and parent fees pay for schools, most of
researched area. England and Ontario, for the central government’s educational
example, have organized national and provincial contributions go to disadvantaged areas.
literacy and numeracy campaigns. In England this
raised literacy scores from 63% reaching the Low-Performing Schools: The highest
standard to 80% reaching the standard at age performing countries have focused on creating
eleven.16 In Canada, 17 the province of Ontario effective systems of education that work for all
raised the proportion of students reaching 6th children rather than separate strategies focused on
grade provincial standards from 55% in 2003 to low-performing schools. However, Canada,
67% among English-speakers and 80% among England and Australia have all developed
French-speakers by 2006-7. By contrast special initiatives for turning around low-performing
education and retention in grade, two widely used schools. In England, different types of schools

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from underperforming to failing schools were increasing collection of data on student
identified. Underperforming schools were paired achievement to inform and track progress.
with high-performing ones, which turned these
schools around significantly in 18 months. Failing A growing challenge for all countries is
schools received more intensive intervention but immigration. Poor U.S. results on international
all relied on a school-supporting-school strategy. assessments are often attributed to the proportion
of immigrants in the U.S. population. But of the
countries taking part in PISA in 2003, the US
Technology: While not a major focus of ranked 10th in the proportion of 15-year-olds
conversation at the symposium, technology clearly with an immigrant background and all countries
has a role to play in overcoming inequities in with larger immigrant shares outperformed the
education. Australia’s new national curriculum, U.S. Still this is an area where all countries need
for example, will have a range of curriculum to improve and is ripe for more detailed cross-
resources and tools for teachers available online national research and discussion of best practice.
to overcome regional resources inequities and China has an enormous problem with rural to
help all students meet the national standards.19 urban migration. The fastest and largest rural-
China uses satellite and distance learning urban migration in history has brought 350
technology to reach schools in its vast rural areas million migrant children into cities. Educating
with high quality science education as well as to these children is an important part of China’s
support its rural teachers.20 Technology allows the 2020 education plan.21

Social Gradients for Science (PISA 2006)22

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 V: Improving Assessment

The U.S. is considering making significant performing country in the world on PISA
changes in its assessment system. The state-led assessments, uses primarily school-based
effort to develop common core standards in assessment with only periodic sample testing from
literacy and math is driving interest in new the national level to monitor quality. Its
assessments to match those standards. President accountability model is based on professional
Obama has talked about the need for tests that go rather than test-based accountability. Countries
beyond “bubbling in”. In international with large numbers of low-performing schools,
perspective, U.S. students are often seen as that are focused primarily on bringing up the
“overtested and underexamined,” but new bottom, tend to be at the other end of the
funding from the Obama administration offers spectrum, with a heavy focus on external
the opportunity to change the direction of accountability testing. The school systems of
educational assessment. Asian countries represent a third approach,
having traditionally been driven by university
The U.S. assessment paradigm differs from the entrance examinations, which allocate the, until
best practices of the rest of the world in: (1) Its recently, very scarce opportunities for higher
frequent external high-stakes testing of young education. Most countries today share similar
students (most countries rely primarily on school- goals of raising achievement and reducing
based testing in elementary school). (2) Its heavy achievement gaps between groups and the need
reliance on frequent, cheap multiple-choice tests, for schools to be accountable for those results,
which measure a limited range of knowledge and but there is considerable concern about the
skills, provide an inaccurate picture of what negative and narrowing effects on education
students know, are of little use to teachers in systems of overweighting external tests.
understanding students’ needs or how to design
instruction, and have led to parental concern that Both European and Asian countries are shifting
they are negatively affecting student learning by the balance of their assessment systems toward a
narrowing the curriculum and focusing education greater use of more formative assessment, better
on lower-order skills, especially for low-income use of data by schools to improve instruction and
and minority students. (Indeed, some people performance, greater involvement of and
argue that one reason for U.S. students’ poor professional development for teachers on
performance on international tests is the heavy assessment, and more authentic measurement of
reliance on low-level multiple-choice tests here higher order skills. “As a large and increasing part
compared with other countries). (3) The lack of of their examination systems, high-achieving
teacher involvement in the design and grading of nations use open-ended performance tasks and
external examinations. (4) The lack of connection school-based curriculum-embedded assessment to
between standards and the curriculum, give students opportunities to develop and
instructional and professional development demonstrate higher order thinking skills: the
support provided for secondary school course- abilities to find and organize information to solve
based examinations (such as Cambridge, problems, frame and conduct investigations,
International Baccalaureate etc.) that are more analyze and synthesize data, and apply learning to
common in other countries. new situations.23

Tests perform a number of functions in education Curriculum-embedded assessments give teachers

– public accountability, informing and improving timely information they need to help students
instructional practice, and monitoring student improve and the process of collective scoring that
progress. No single assessment can satisfy all many nations use to ensure reliability also prove
these purposes and there is a spectrum of educative for teachers who learn to calibrate their
practices internationally in how these demands are understanding of the standards to common
balanced. At one end, Finland, the highest benchmarks.”24 Moreover, scoring student work

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allows teachers to discover trends in the quality These directions in assessment are an example of
and content of what students produce that can be the change in policies and strategies as countries
linked to the nature of the assignment itself— focus on moving from good to great and on the
what students were asked to do—or the new demands of a 21st century innovation
instructional activities that teachers employed. economy.

VI: Learning with the World and Looking Ahead: What Matters Most

What were some of the lessons learned from and narrowed the curriculum to a small range of
high-performing or rapidly improving subjects and lower- order skills, to a focus on
countries about what matters most in raising building the capacity and creativity of schools, and
educational performance? generating a professional knowledge culture in
which best practice is codified and shared. The
First, in terms of bringing about major advances in essential task is to design reforms that effectively
education, participants emphasized that there are no address performance deficits particularly among
quick fixes but that significant change is possible low income and minority children – closing
over a five-to-ten year period. Success requires a achievement gaps -- while not denying acquisition
clear sense of moral purpose, a guiding and of higher order thinking skills and a broader
persistent political coalition, effective leadership at curriculum needed in a global knowledge-based
every level, a focus on building capacity to make economy and creating what might be called an
the necessary improvements, engagement of “opportunity gap.”
broad support, transparency, and the use of
evidence. Fourth, in terms of the three specific areas of discussion,
high-performing and improving systems:
Second, how did international participants perceive U.S.
education reform efforts? International participants all  Emphasize recruiting, preparing,
emphasized that they have learned a lot from the supporting and compensating teachers on
U.S, which is seen as an innovator in education. the front end rather than reducing teacher
However, they see that the U.S. has failed to build attrition and firing weak teachers on the
an effective system of education to educate all back end
children. This is partly due to the inherent
difficulties of achieving alignment when there are  Provide teachers regular and effective
so many different levels of authority. Other professional development that directly
perceived barriers are the huge acceptance of addresses the instructional challenges
inequality in the structure and funding of schools, where they teach.
the lack of a human resources system for educator
recruitment and development, and the frequency  Evaluate teachers on a variety of
of policy changes without providing support to indicators that provide formative feedback
and building the capacity of schools to implement useful in improving instruction and
the changes. multiple indicators for summative
performance evaluation
Third, in terms of the overall lessons learned from their
education reforms, participants agreed that when  Systematically seek out leadership talent
achievement is low and uneven, strong and provide effective training that will
government intervention is needed. However, enable prospective school principals to
they emphasized that moving a system from good lead schools to higher achievement.
to great, in which every school is a great school,
entails going beyond some of the top-down policy  Emphasize the prevention of school
prescriptions that have dominated many reforms failure through early identification and

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 intervention and systematic, sustained
support that includes linkages to health Finally, what of the future? This symposium
and social services. analyzed what countries have done to raise
educational performance up until this point. But
 Do not tolerate vast inequities in nothing stands still. What will their education
resources or student performance systems look like in the future? While not the
between schools or between groups of primary focus of the discussion, there were some
students and target extra support where fascinating glimpses. China, which has just
there is the greatest need for released its 2020 plan for education, is an example
improvement. of a country with an ambitious and long-term
plan for education that addresses quality
 Utilize assessments systems that balance development and equity on a massive scale while
standardized tests with greater use of combining the traditional focus on rigor in its
performance assessments that emphasize curriculum with a new emphasis on creativity and
cognitive skills development. applications. Other countries stressed their
movement towards more personalized learning
 Engage teachers in the design of rather than a lockstep march through courses, a
curriculum, instruction and assessment so broader curriculum emphasizing creativity and a
that they are aligned and to strengthen global perspective, and a changed role for the
teachers’ understanding of how to reach teacher as information technology makes learning
standards. possible anywhere, anytime.

We have much to learn from other countries, as

they have been doing from us. Despite the
obvious differences of cultures and political
systems, the elements of a strong educational
system are not that different, although they need
to be adapted to the local context. High-
achieving countries routinely scan the world for
ideas and best practices. The U.S. has been less
involved with study of international best practices
as a tool for improvement. Learning with the
world needs to become part of our DNA too.

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 International Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice:
What Can We Learn from High Performing Nations?
Washington, DC
April 27 – 28, 2010

Participant List

Lois Adams-Rodgers, Deputy Director Carole Fenn, Executive Director

CCSSO Americans Promoting Study Abroad

Shari Albright, Executive Director of Education Susan Frost, Senior Policy Advisor
Asia Society Asia Society

Cindy Bennett, Director, Division of K-12 Nelson González, Chief Strategy Officer
Curriculum and Instruction Stupski Foundation
North Carolina Department of Education
John Hayton, Counsellor, Education, Science and
Michele Cahill, Vice President for National Programs Training,and Director
Carnegie Corporation of New York Australian Education International North America

Karen Cator, Director, Education Technology Ho Peng, Director General of Education

U.S. Department of Education Singapore Ministry of Education

Truphena Choti, Program Analyst David Hopkins, Professor Emeritus

National Education Association Institute of Education, University of London

Gail Connelly, Executive Director Tony Jackson, Vice President, Education

National Association of Elementary School Principals Asia Society

Tom Corcoran, Director Lauren Jacobs, Legislative Associate

Consortium for Policy Research in Education Sheridan Group

Jack Dale, Superintendent Judy Jeffrey, Director of Education

Fairfax County Iowa Department of Education

Linda Darling Hammond, Charles Ducommon Tan Ken Jin, Planning Officer, Planning Division
Professor of Education; Co-Director School Singapore Ministry of Education
Redesign Network
Stanford University Greg Jobin-Leeds, Co-founder
Partnership for Democracy and Education
Deborah Delisle, Superintendent of Public
Instruction Jessica Kehayes, Associate Director, Education
Ohio Department of Education Asia Society

Betsy Devlin-Foltz, Program Officer, Teacher Dan Leeds, President

Exchange Branch, Bureau of Educational and Fulcrum Investments
Cultural Affairs
U.S. State Department Ben Levin, Professor and Canada Research Chair in
Education Leadership and Policy
David Edwards, Senior Policy Analyst Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the
National Education Association University of Toronto

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Kent Lewis, Director of Programs
Qatar Foundation International Donna Sabis-Burns, Deputy Assistant Superintendent
of Elementary and Secondary Education
Chris Liviccari, Associate Director, Education and Office of the State Superintendent of Education,
Chinese Language Initiatives Washington, DC
Asia Society
Pasi Sahlberg, Director General
Christopher Lohse, Strategic Initiative Director, Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation,
Information Systems and Research Finland
CCSSO
Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and
Rick Love, Program Manager, Education Analysis Division (Directorate for Education)
MetLife Foundation OECD

Jennifer Manise, Executive Director Susan Sclafani, Director of State Services

Longview Foundation National Center on Education and the Economy

Barry McGaw, Chair Heather Singmaster, Senior Program Associate

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Asia Society
Authority
Larry Snowhite, Vice President, Public and
Peter McWalters, Interim Education Workforce Government Affairs
Strategic Initiative Director McGraw-Hill Education
CCSSO
Holly Stephens, Program Officer, Teacher Exchange
Beth Miller, Director of Research and Evaluation Branch, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Nellie Mae State Department

Chris Minnich, Strategic Initiative Director, Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor for Education
Standards, Assessment & Accountability Asia Society
CCSSO
Patricia Sullivan, Deputy Director
Scott Palmer, Managing Partner American Federation of Teachers
Education Counsel LLP
Wang Dinghua, Deputy Director General, Basic
Elizabeth Partoyan, Strategic Initiative Director, Next Education Department
Generation Learners Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of
CCSSO China

Susan Patrick, President and CEO Joanne Weiss, Director, Race to the Top
iNACOL U.S. Department of Education

Linda Pittenger, Co-Director of the Partnership For Brenda Welburn, Executive Director
Next Generation Learning National Association of State Boards of Education
CCSSO
Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director
Gerrita Postlewait, Chief K12 Officer CCSSO
Stupski Foundation
Judy Wurtzel, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of
Mika Risku, Assistant Director and Researcher Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development
Institute of Educational Leadership, U.S. Department of Education
University of Jvyaskyla, Finland

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1
We would also like to thank Andreas Schleicher of OECD, Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University, and Dan Leeds
and Bob Wise of the Alliance for Excellent Education for their help in developing and conducting this symposium.
2
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The High Cost of Low Educational Performance: The Long-
Run Economic Impact of Improving PISA Outcomes, (OECD: 2010).
3
Andreas Schleicher and Vivien Stewart, “Learning from World-Class Schools,” Education Leadership 66 no. 2 (2008).
4
Videos of international expert presentations and their PowerPoints can be seen on the web at:
http://asiasociety.org/node/9982
5
Barry McGaw, “The Key Drivers of High Performance Systems –Australia” (Presentation at the symposium: International
Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing Nations?, Washington, DC,
April 27 – 28, 2010).
6
Ho Peng, “The Singapore Story” (Presentation at the symposium: International Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and
Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing Nations?, Washington, DC, April 27 – 28, 2010).

7
David Hopkins, “Every School a Great School: A perspective from England” (Presentation at the symposium: International
Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing Nations?, Washington, DC,
April 27 – 28, 2010).
8
David Hopkins, “The Emergence of Systems Leadership” (National College for School Leadership, March 2009).
http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/docinfo?id=21854&filename=the-emergence-of-system-leadership.pdf
9
Pasi Sahlberg, “The Most Wanted: Teachers and Teacher Education in Finland,” in International Teacher Education:
Practices & Policies in High Achieving Nations, ed. Linda Darling-Hammond & Ann Lieberman (New York: Routledge
Press, 2009).
10
Pasi Sahlberg, “Key Drivers of Educational Performance in Finland” (Presentation at the symposium: International
Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing Nations?, Washington, DC,
April 27 – 28, 2010).
11
Ben Levin, Avis Glaze, and Michael Fullan, “Results without Rancor or Ranking: Ontario’s Success Story,” Phi Delta
Kappan 90 no. 4 (2008) p. 280.
12
Wang Dinghua, “Toward 2020: Reform and Development of K-12 Education in China” (PowerPoint presented at the
symposium: International Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing
Nations?, Washington, DC, April 27 – 28, 2010).
13
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008).
14
National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve Inc, “Benchmarking for Success:
Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-Class Education,” 2008. http://www.achieve.org/files/BenchmarkingforSuccess.pdf
15
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The High Cost of Low Educational Performance: The Long-
Run Economic Impact of Improving PISA Outcomes, (OECD: 2010).
16
David Hopkins, Every School a Great School (Open University Press, 2007).
17
Ben Levin, How to Change 5,000 Schools: A Practical and Positive Approach for Leading Change at Every Level
(Cambridge: Harvard Education Press, 2008).
18
Pasi Sahlberg, “The Most Wanted: Teachers and Teacher Education in Finland,” in International Teacher Education:
Practices & Policies in High Achieving Nations, ed. Linda Darling-Hammond & Ann Lieberman (New York: Routledge
Press, 2009).

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19
Barry McGaw, “President’s Report: Transforming Australian Education,” Dialogue 29 no. 1 (2010)
http://www.assa.edu.au/publications/dialogue/
20
Asia Society. Math and Science Education in a Global Age: What the U.S. Can Learn from China (New York: Asia
Society, 2006).
21
Wang Dinghua, “Toward 2020: Reform and Development of K-12 Education in China” (PowerPoint presented at the
symposium: International Perspectives on U.S. Education Policy and Practice: What can we Learn from High Performing
Nations?, Washington, DC, April 27 – 28, 2010).
22
OECD, PISA 2006: Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s World. Vol I: Analysis (Paris: OECD Publishing, 2007), p. 184.
23
Linda Darling-Hammond, “Performance Counts: Assessment Systems that Support High-Quality Learning,” Council of
Chief State School Officers (2010) p. 3. http://www.ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=381
24
Linda Darling-Hammond and Ray Pecheone, “Reframing Accountability: Using Performance Assessments to Focus on
Higher-Order Skills” in Meaningful Measurments, ed L. M. Pinkus (Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education,
2009) p. 11.

Copyright © Asia Society 2010

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