2006 PISA Science Assessment Results

On December 4, the OECD released the 2006 PISA assessments which focused on science and math. Sadly, the summary results placed the US below the average for the 57 countries taking the test. At 29th overall, it doesn’t appear that we will be relinquishing our love for creationism and astrology any time soon. China and India were not included in the assessment, but they are the two countries which have benefited the most by the failure of our system to entice students into STEM careers. The complete OECD US briefing can be found at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/30/17/39703267.pdf
and does have some important nuancing for policy makers. Apologists for the bad results are claiming that other countries ‘hide’ their poor students in vocational pools which aren’t included in the sampling. One valid point is the fact that high scoring countries tend to be small, homogeneous entities in the developed cadre of countries. Countering that fact is the idea that the US is really 50 such entities – why can’t we get our act together? New Mexico is one state which has pulled itself up some distance with a 700 million dollar educational investment pushed by former governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson. It can be done. Here in New Hampshire, we still rely on the shrinking resources of property owners and lottery tickets to prop up the system. We do OK, primarily by being a great place to live and attracting good teachers willing to be paid poorly. Unfortunately, our higher ed system is languishing with the same number of full professors now as in the 1960s, but triple the student load. The University of New Hampshire has a nationally recognized athletic program which loses a million a year, but has a shrinking number of students enrolling in STEM fields which get grants and outside funding. Maybe we are counting on a quarterback to be able to throw a satellite into orbit?