The new PISA study, administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed that American students still lag behind their international peers in mathematics. William Schmidt, a Professor of education and statistics at Michigan State University, believes this problem can be solved by providing students more exposure to formal math, like algebra and geometry.
Indeed, the OECD report shows there is a strong relationship between student performance and the amount of formal math in the school program. Consistent math instruction throughout the nation, in line with the new Common Core State Standards, may also help America to get better ranking in the next PISA studies.
Image: Orbital Mechanics (Wikipedia)
