The Smartest Kids in the World (45 page)

New York State Regents exam,
156
–57,
283
n

New Zealand,
4
,
107
,
109
,
159
,
193
,
265
n,
275
n

performance-level changes in,
3

Nintendo DS,
106

No Child Left Behind,
17
,
132
,
136
,
194
,
226

Finland’s version of,
88
–89

Northeastern State University,
87
–88,
93
,
272
n,
274
n

Norway,
2
–3,
6
–7,
93
,
139
,
258
n,
272
n

performance-level changes in,
3

teacher training in,
85
–86

Obama, Barack,
42
,
66
,
194

on Korea,
7
,
58
,
258
n

obesity,
118
,
190

OECD,
see
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Oklahoma,
5
,
26
–45,
181
–86,
261
n
–65
n

Common Core in,
194

economy of,
43

education spending in,
33
,
141
,
262
n,
263
n

end-of-school tests in,
33
,
185
–86,
263
n,
287
n
–88
n

Finland compared with,
83
–84,
98
,
119

lack of rigor in curriculum of,
40

Marshall in,
181
–82

Minnesota compared with,
47

school-improvement attempts of,
33
–34

state test in,
27
,
261
n

stoner kids in,
83
,
193

teacher training in,
87
–88,
93
–95

world ranking of,
27
,
262
n

Oklahoma City,
29
–31,
184

Oklahoman,
185

Oklahoma School Board Association,
34

Oklahoma State Department of Education,
262
n

Oklahoma Virtual High School,
155
,
183
–85

Oman,
94

online learning,
56
,
155
,
170
,
183
–85

see also
technology; virtual high school

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
15
,
18
,
255
n
–59
n,
263
n,
271
n,
275
n,
277
n
–80
n

Päärnilä, Ossi,
271
n

Paige, Rod,
17

parents, parenting,
6
,
7
,
9
,
17
–18,
25
,
76
,
118
,
191

advice for, in search for schools,
207
–18

American,
107
–13,
117
,
163
,
187
,
192
,
196
,
276
n

education of,
4
,
109
,
110
,
112

Finnish,
24
,
86
,
97
,
113
,
116
,
166
–68,
276
n
–77
n

geography of,
106
–14,
275
n
–78
n

in Gettysburg,
141
–42,
143

income of,
17
,
159

involvement of,
35
–36,
101
,
107
–11,
213
,
218
,
264
n

Korean,
7
,
59
,
60
–63,
106
–11,
114
,
116
,
170
,
171
,
174
,
176
,
218
,
258
n,
267
n,
268
n,
276
n
–77
n

murder of,
61
–62

Oklahoma,
33
,
35
–36

in PISA,
107
–14,
275
n
–77
n

Polish,
134

praise by,
110
–12,
276
n

PTA (Parent Teacher Association),
109
–10,
213
,
276
n

reading of,
68
–69,
111

self-segregation by,
161

single,
45
,
62
,
102
–3

styles of,
112
–13

parent-teacher conferences,
35
–36,
61
,
98

Paris,
15
,
114

peer effect,
105
,
137

Pennsylvania,
140
,
141
,
282
n

see also
Gettysburg, Pa.

Pennsylvania, University of,
121

Pennsylvania state test (PSSA),
282
n

persistence,
118
,
120
,
121
,
192

personality, earnings and,
278
n

philosophy,
72
,
128

physical education,
94

Pietarsaari,
45
,
81
–84,
81
,
97
–99,
101
–3,
151
–54,
158
,
270
n

PISA (Program for International Student Assessment),
15
–25,
161
,
255
n
–61
n,
262
n,
284
n

AFS survey and,
220
–22

author’s taking of,
20
–24,
260
n

critics of,
18
–19,
259
n

development of,
15
,
258
n

economic growth and,
24

graduation tests and,
33
,
156
,
263
n

home environment and,
107

parental survey and,
107
–14,
275
n
–77
n

poverty and,
132

predictive power of,
24
,
261
n

prior tests compared with,
15

special education and,
284
n

stereotypes contradicted by,
18

student survey and,
121
–22

tracking and,
138

2001 results of,
15
–18

PISA International Data Explorer,
260
n

Plato’s Cave,
142

play,
109
,
277
n

Poland,
8
,
9
,
67
–72,
141
,
144
–47,
159
,
191
,
199
,
266
n,
275
n

author’s visit to,
25
,
127
–30,
144
–47

education reform in,
131
–37,
139
,
146
,
147
,
282
n

education spending in,
136
,
146
,
281
n

end-of-school tests in,
263
n

Finland compared with,
127
,
133
,
139
,
147

history of,
124
–39,
146
–47

Korea compared with,
175

Marshall in,
181
–83

metamorphosis of,
24
,
124
–37

PISA in,
70
,
123
,
127
,
135
–37,
146
,
147
,
198

poverty in,
24
,
71
,
127
,
136
,
279
n
–80
n

teachers in,
see
teachers, Polish

teacher training in,
133
,
146
–47

tracking in,
132
,
160

transition phase in,
131

U.S. compared with,
see
United States, Poland compared with

Polish language,
128

politics, politicians,
6
,
25
,
62
,
90
,
130
,
146
,
175
–76,
199

Portugal,
70
,
275
n

Postlethwaite, Thomas Neville,
ix
,
13
–14,
15

poverty,
3
,
6
,
17
,
27
,
101
,
112
,
256
n
–58
n,
274
n

definition of,
257
n,
258
n,
279
n
–90
n

in Finland,
71
,
193
,
257
n

in Korea,
59
,
64
,
71
,
174
,
267
n

PISA and,
132

in Poland,
24
,
71
,
127
,
136
,
279
n
–80
n

in Sallisaw,
27

in U.S.,
see
United States, poverty in

praise,
110
,
111
–12,
229
–31,
229
,
276
n

Praxis,
91

Presidential Fitness Test,
190

principals,
90
,
96
,
110
,
116
–17,
119
,
162
,
191
,
195
,
213
,
266
n,
281
n

in Finland,
155
,
166

at Gettysburg High,
140
–45,
282
n

in Poland,
133
,
134
,
137
,
145
,
146

questions for,
215
–18

private schools,
17
,
70
,
167
,
168
,
187
,
211
–12,
259
n,
261
n

privilege,
2
,
4
,
17
,
70

probability,
70
,
270
n

problem solving,
4
,
5
,
21
–23

property taxes,
160

Providence Journal,
92

psychologists,
151
,
153

PTA (Parent Teacher Association) parenting,
109
–10,
213
,
276
n

punishment,
166
,
195
,
265
–66

race,
2
,
17
,
27
,
70
,
107
,
139
,
158
–60,
162

see also
diversity; minorities

Race to the Top,
194

racism,
91
,
158

Ravitch, Diane,
163
,
256
n

reading,
4
,
5
,
78
,
88
,
113
,
182
,
217

to children,
108
–11,
114
,
159
,
218

critical thinking in,
1
,
4
,
31
,
262
n

math compared with,
77

parental involvement and,
107
–11,
276
n

of parents,
68
–69,
111

standards for,
75

tests of,
14
,
15
,
20
,
21
–22,
24
,
31
,
70
,
95
,
123
,
127
,
132
,
135
,
136
,
160
,
165
,
198
,
262
n,
281
n

of Tom,
69
,
180
,
187
,
188

remedial classes,
37
,
265
n

research and development,
5
,
257
n

resilience,
113
,
192
,
228

Rhee, Michelle,
1
–2,
196

Rhode Island,
90
–92,
218

Rhode Island College,
92
,
273
n
–74
n