"It's time to ask ourselves why other countries are outperforming us in education. Because it's not that their kids are smarter than ours—it's that they're being smarter about how to educate their kids. "

Not exactly. It really comes down to the parents. The parents in those countries put pressure on their kids to learn. They emphasise how important it is. They spend time to make sure the kids study. My mother teaches in a city in CA that has a high proportion of kids from asia. They are taking the same classes as American kids yet they consistently do better. Why? Because their parents demand it. Because they are all over them to do their homework while American parents are too busy or watching TV and can't be bothered.

I agree that parental expectations, regardless of income or race, make an incredible difference in whether or not a child does well in school, and goes on to post-sec education. However, I think other countries also score well on standardized tests because in the past, many countries tracked students from 14 years on to either a general ed or a collegiate track, depending on their test scores. And, America likes its students to be 'well-rounded,' meaning a sometimes exhausting round of sports, clubs, community work, and, oh, almost forgot, homework. My AP Lit 12 students look like homeless people by February--they're burned out by trying to be everything to everyone.

America also tries to educate everyone; I've had students in general education English classes whose IQs measured in the low 80s--certainly educable, but rarely a high-scoring test taker.

Does anyone know if Germany and other countries still track students?