\doc\web\98\04\timss2.txt


Well Norm,  for once we're in agreemnent. People forget that Intel 
and MIcrosoft own 85% of the world market and computers (due in
no small part to the 30% of their workforce and management that
is immigrant), even Boeing, and US automatkers are close to or over
half the world.


Of course who knows what will happen if reformers get their way
and cancel students aiming jfor college in favor of a planned economy
with school to work.


> Date:          Sat, 7 Mar 1998 21:25:11 -0800
> From:          Norm Matloff <matloff@cs.ucdavis.edu>
> Subject:       Re: TIMSS International Study


> 
> On Sat, Mar 07, 1998 at 10:43:14PM -0500, dchiang@juno.com wrote:
>  
> > Arthur, the TIMSS study shows that American students are well behind
> > students of other industrialized nations (ie. see US News & World Report,
> 
> Well, not quite, Dave.  What you are quoting is not the TIMSS study
> itself, but rather a reporter's VIEW of it---and reporters always
> try to make things as sensational as possible.
> 
> There is an excellent article in the current issue of The American
> Prospect which puts the TIMSS study in perspective.  Things are not
> quite the way they've been described in the press.
> 
> Norm
> 
> 


> Date:          Sat, 7 Mar 1998 22:23:29 -0800
> From:          Norm Matloff <matloff@cs.ucdavis.edu>
> To:            arthurhu@halcyon.com, dchiang@juno.com
> Subject:       Re: TIMSS International Study


> 
> [Me:]
> 
> > > Well, not quite, Dave.  What you are quoting is not the TIMSS study
> > > itself, but rather a reporter's VIEW of it---and reporters always
> > > try to make things as sensational as possible.
> 
> > > There is an excellent article in the current issue of The American
> > > Prospect which puts the TIMSS study in perspective.  Things are not
> > > quite the way they've been described in the press.
> 
> [Arthur:]
> 
> > Is there a version of this online? 
> 
> No, unfortunately not.  But it should be in most Barnes and Noble
> bookstore magazine sections, I believe.  I could type in a few
> excerpts for you, but you really ought to take a look at the whole
> thing.
> 
> > My take is that it's useless when
> > the US is virtually neck and neck with Germany in almost every
> > category, 
> 
> Though my guess is that the Germans probably think their educational
> system is going downhill too. :-)  But then so do the Japanese, Chinese
> and Korean governments, all of whom are energetically pushing for
> educational reform.  The grass is always greener on the other side of
> the fence.  We can probably all learn from each other.
> 
> By the way, one of the points the author makes in the article is that
> there is virtually zero correlation between the countries' ranks on the
> TIMSS tests and their economic performance.  Of course, the value of an
> educated and thinking populace transcends economics, but still it's an
> interesting point.
> 
> Norm
> 
>