The US education system is mediocre compared to the rest of the world. Academically, they are many years behind. They are specifically lacking in Mathematics, Science and Reading. The US placed 25th in Math and 21st in Science. From the top 56, the US placed 23rd overall. 20% to 34% of middle school students are proficient in reading. There are 2,000 schools in the US that are called "Failure Factories" or "Drop-Out Factories" meaning that they are schools built for student to fail or dropout. Experts believe that failing schools are a result from failing neighborhoods. Reformers believe the opposite from the experts. American school were the best in the 1970s but ever since then they have drastically plummeted. Action needs to be taken! America school should incorporate Finland's education policies such as using the same curriculum for all students and implementing a comprehensive preschool program at an early age that focuses on socializing and "self-reflection"; additionally, there should be better teaching training programs. .
In the US, education curriculums vary from state to state however Finland has a national core curriculum which includes the identification of the core subjects. Some curriculums in the US have high standards, some have adequate standards and others have low standards. For instance, states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont set high standards and have higher graduation rates. Nevertheless, states such as the District of Columbia, Mississippi, and Louisiana set low standards. They have low test scores, high dropout rates and low graduation rates. If the US had the same high-standard common core curriculum throughout the country, there would not be a drastic difference from state to state regarding test scores, graduation rates, etc. .
Teaching students starts off in an early age. In Finland, kids do not start school until the age of 7.
