Too Little Too Late: American High Schools in an International Context

In recent years, increasing attention has focused on the inadequate preparation of American students for future jobs as well as for life in general. This complaint is heard from both industry and higher education. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports continue to remind the public that a large majority of twelfth graders are below proficiency in most subject matter areas, including mathematics, science, U.S. history, civics, and geography. From 70 to 90 percent of high school seniors scored below the proficient level on each of these subject matter tests. ¹ The results are somewhat better only in reading, with 60 percent of the students scoring below the proficient level. ² The NAEP Governing Board defined proficiency as the level that all students should reach. In mathematics and science, the proportion of students below the proficient level was estimated to be around 80 percent. ³

The concern of this paper is with the proficiency of U.S. twelfth graders in the areas of quantitative and scientific literacy. Developing proficiency in these two areas is certainly critical to the future success of graduating seniors, be they university-bound or headed immediately into the work force. For those who pursue higher education, mathematical competency in particular often operates as a gatekeeper, controlling not only entry to the more prestigious colleges and universities but also to the courses of study that are available to students once admitted. As a result, a student's mathematical competencies ultimately influence even his or her choice of careers.

Given the increasingly complex and technological nature of the economy, the work force implications are also profound. What was once considered knowledge for the elite has now become essential for all. Many jobs in the new economy demand technological knowledge and skills based on the disciplines of mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry. ⁴ For example, the U.S. economy's information technology sector has accounted for nearly one-third of the nation's economic growth over the past few years (before the most recent economic slowdown) and employed some five million people. Twenty percent of those five million were foreign-educated and came to the United States specifically to fill an unmet need in this sector because of inadequacies in basic mathematics and science in the U.S. education system. ⁵

Even old-line industrial production no longer runs primarily on low-level skills and a strong back. Ever more increasingly, it involves computers, robotics, and other high-tech innovations, all dependent on a work force with a sophisticated knowledge base in mathematics and science. ⁶ Machine tooling is a good example. That work is now done by computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) manufacturing technology. Individuals operating this machinery need mathematical training that includes knowledge of calculus. ⁷ A Midwest think tank has estimated that 60 percent of the new jobs demand skills possessed by 20 percent of the current work force. ⁸

Data sources other than NAEP also document the low levels of competency of high school graduates in both mathematics and science. Industry has responded by investing large amounts of money in reeducating the work force, not so much for specific jobs, but in basic literacy issues including numerical and scientific principles. ⁹

Cross-national comparisons of the United States with other countries also provide useful data. Most recently, in 1995, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) measured mathematics and science literacy of end-of-secondary-school students in twenty-two countries. The specialized knowledge of students taking more advanced courses in mathematics and physics was also tested. ¹⁰

For both general literacy of all seniors and more technical knowledge for mathematics and physics majors, the performance of the United States was poor by comparison to other countries. U.S. students statistically outperformed only two countries, Cyprus and South Africa...