The Smartest Kids in the World

The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't we all agree that education in the U.S. could use a fresh take? Amanda Ripley tells us what it's like to be an American exchange student in one of the countries where high schools are "better": Finland, South Korea, Poland.

A couple of months ago her book was much-discussed. Now it seems to be off the radar. But her observations have merit. Here are a few:
1. Ripley says local control is "hard-wired for inefficiency" ( p. 34).
2. Parents who engage kids in talk about big ideas -- movies, books, current affairs with teens especially -- will have kids who are better readers ( p. 108). Parent volunteering at school, on the other hand, does not seem to affect student achievement.
3. Read for pleasure and your kids are more likely to do it too.
4. Take education seriously -- more seriously than sports even.
5.  Make teaching a high-level profession in training, in both respect and pay.
6.  Have hard tests, especially a hard and useful matriculation test at the end of high school..
7. There must be meaningful opportunities for everyone. Equity is essential to good schools.
8. The best way to evaluate a school is not by word of mouth, but by visiting when school is in session.  Are the kids interested, paying attention, working hard? (208).
9. High school graduates  should be able to write an essay, develop an argument, and clearly communicate an idea. But many can't.

You've probably already heard that students work too hard in Korea, routinely studying in private tutoring offices until 9 p.m. before heading home. Ripley also reminds us that Korea and Finland have gone through hard times in recent history. They value education as a way out of that era. Americans, Ripley says, have been lulled by our country's wealth. We don't take education seriously.

I usually get mad at non-educators when they make recommendation, but Ripley keeps to her role as reporter; she doesn't really tell us what to do.


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