There are a couple points that are very important and are being missed here.

1. The teachers are highly trained with masters degrees. The teaching programs/colleges are tough to get into and have a stringent grading system. This is because they have to know exactly how to teach courses, such as math, meaning they have to be at least good at the subject.

This is not the case here. Most courses here deal with classroom management and psychology. Not saying those are not important, but getting into a teaching degree program is not difficult and teachers don't have to have a deep understanding of math to teach it here. (Oh the mistakes I've seen, but the teachers don't even catch them)

2. Historically there has been no "gifted" program. The kids that excel in math stay in the same class as their peers and often end up assisting them. There are some now, but it's not prevalent.

Imagine telling AAP parents here, that their child doesn't need to be in a special classroom, at a center surrounded by peers of similar ability. That they can succeed in, gasp, Gen. Ed. classes. There would likely be county wide protests and petitions.

Here's a short video that provided a decent summary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlYHWpRR4yc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that in DC until recently there were teachers who did not have basic qualifications

Actually, now there are teachers who haven't had teacher training and don't have a license to teach, they're called Teach for America.

To first poster - Your "understanding" is wrong. DC teachers, except for TFA, have qualifications, including the requirement for ongoing graduate credits to attain and keep up their certification.

Oh, sure, super easy spelling.

Joten luulet Suomi oikeinkirjoitus on erittäin helppoa?

Anonymous wrote:who bloody cares about these rankings anyway? Seriously do you want to live in a country where children spend all their time in cram schools or throw themselves under trains?

No, we just don't want to find ourselves a third world country where we can no longer manufacture, produce, or do anything for ourselves. The world is getting more complex each and every day, and if we sit by idly, the rest of the world will pass us by.

Anonymous wrote:Even with their "fall" in the PISAs, the Finns are still far ahead of the US.

+1

who bloody cares about these rankings anyway? Seriously do you want to live in a country where children spend all their time in cram schools or throw themselves under trains?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even with their "fall" in the PISAs, the Finns are still far ahead of the US.

In addition to being and incredibly homogeneous society, Finland also has the advantage of perhaps the easiest language to read and spell in the world for native speakers. Switzerland is ahead of them despite having to deal with four different languages. Singapore is far ahead despite having to deal with a nightmare of an educational system that teaches in English in spite of the fact that it is rarely being the language spoken at home of the kids being taught there. Finland is no model for the US.

I don't understand why this point isn't brought up more. It is much harder to learn how to read and spell in English in comparison to Finnish.

This is bull.The spelling is not that hard.There are patterns you follow.I speak one of the Finno-Ugric languages, and the rule is that there are no rules.After years of schooling many grown-ups still can't spell in their native tongue.
I visited a pen-friend in Finland in 1990.She was studying even on a bus as they were picking us up from the port.Good work ethic!
And whoever mention poor Swiss kids having to learn all those languages...wth! They grow up hearing them, seeing them everywhere and the languages are somewhat related. I studied languages I heard only from a recording tape and are as hard for me as Chinese to an American.
My country has ranked in top 10 constantly-the education is good,but not great.I'm just wondering how bad is it in other countries if we make it often to top 10.

Maybe there should be a study of the parents, not the education system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Scandinavian country is an education superpower because it values equality more than excellence.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

What they value is real challenge and real learning over real BS. Try to go there with the "equality" argument as framed by DCPS and you wouldn't last 3 days.

what equality argument framed by DCPS are you referring to? It's the Finns who have based their education system on equality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even with their "fall" in the PISAs, the Finns are still far ahead of the US.

In addition to being and incredibly homogeneous society, Finland also has the advantage of perhaps the easiest language to read and spell in the world for native speakers. Switzerland is ahead of them despite having to deal with four different languages. Singapore is far ahead despite having to deal with a nightmare of an educational system that teaches in English in spite of the fact that it is rarely being the language spoken at home of the kids being taught there. Finland is no model for the US.

I don't understand why this point isn't brought up more. It is much harder to learn how to read and spell in English in comparison to Finnish.

a. don't think the PISA tests spelling
b. wouldn't explain away the math achievement

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even with their "fall" in the PISAs, the Finns are still far ahead of the US.

In addition to being and incredibly homogeneous society, Finland also has the advantage of perhaps the easiest language to read and spell in the world for native speakers. Switzerland is ahead of them despite having to deal with four different languages. Singapore is far ahead despite having to deal with a nightmare of an educational system that teaches in English in spite of the fact that it is rarely being the language spoken at home of the kids being taught there. Finland is no model for the US.

I don't understand why this point isn't brought up more. It is much harder to learn how to read and spell in English in comparison to Finnish.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finland also doesn't start formal education until age 6 or 7. No academics in the early years - those are all about play and creativity and child development. No reading or math or lessons or academics.

That's misleading information. It's correct to say that mandatory education doesn't start until then, but Finns have access to robust early childhood education programs prior to then - and the overwhelming majority of Finnish families take advantage of that.

My understanding is that the early childhood education programs are play based as I said above. They do not have academic curriculums. Perhaps I am wrong - do you have experience with academic curriculum driven preschools in Finland?

Anonymous wrote:A. Finland is a Nordic country and not a Scandinavian country. OP, if you don't know the difference then this thread is useless.

B. This article is from 2011 and does not align with more recent work like the book The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got There.

C. Individual income tax rates are around 50% or more.

D. If you spent more than three days (?) in Finland, you would know that they are extremely concerned about the survival of Suomi (if you don't know what that is, then don't post about Finland) in light of the need to expand the population base. You might be surprised where they go for models of dual-language immersion...hint...it's not Quebec.

Are there lessons to be learned from Finland? Possibly. But don't "go there" unless you've actually been there.

Finland is a Scandinavian country.
It's not the Scandinavian Penninsula countries (Sweden, Norway) but Scandinavia is Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Don't go there: you might be a pompous ass

Anonymous wrote:Even with their "fall" in the PISAs, the Finns are still far ahead of the US.

In addition to being and incredibly homogeneous society, Finland also has the advantage of perhaps the easiest language to read and spell in the world for native speakers. Switzerland is ahead of them despite having to deal with four different languages. Singapore is far ahead despite having to deal with a nightmare of an educational system that teaches in English in spite of the fact that it is rarely being the language spoken at home of the kids being taught there. Finland is no model for the US.