Precollege Science and Math 'Lack Focus.' (Diversity of Math and Science Teaching Methods across the US Contributing to Poor Achievement Scores Compared to Children of Other countries)(Brief Article)

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Throughout the nation's more than 15,000 school districts, widely differing approaches to teaching science and math have emerged. Though there can be strength in diversity, a new international analysis suggests that this variability has instead contributed to lackluster achievement scores by U.S. children relative to their peers in other developed countries.

Indeed, concludes William H. Schmidt of Michigan State University in East Lansing, who led the new analysis, "no single intellectually coherent vision dominates U.S. educational practice in math or science." The reason, he told Science News, "is because the system is deeply and fundamentally flawed." The new analysis, released …