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>> Announcer: "PRIMETIME"
CONTINUES.
NOW FROM NEW YORK, DIANE SAWYER.
>>> OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE HEAR
ABOUT TESTS OF AMERICAN
STUDENTS.
AND LATER THIS MONTH, WE'LL KNOW
Rí@ZgWgWVKVK@JSCHOOL SENIORS
STUDENTS HERE LAGGED BEHIND
THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN SUBJECTS
LIKE MATH AND SCIENCE.
Y?
"PRIMETIME" FOUND AN EXPERT THA
SAYS HE KNOWS THE ANSWER AND
THAT A FEW SIMPLE CHANGES IN THE
AMERICAN APPROACH COULD MAKE A
WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE CAN SHOW
YOU, ON VIDEOTAPE.
CYNTHIA McFADDEN SAT DOWN TO SEE
IF WE COULD HELP SOLVE
THE PUZZLE.
>> 90 PLUS 90 IS --
>> CIRCUMFERENCE DIVIDED BY
DIAMETER.
>> EQUAL 180 DEGREES.
>> IT'S THE ZERO EMPONENT.
>> Reporter: THE U.S. AND MORE
THAN 40 OTHER
ECONOMICALLY-ADVANCED COTRIES
TESTED THEIR STUDENTS IN MATH
AND SCIENCE TO SEE HOW
THEY SCORED AND HOW
THEY COMPARED.
>> THERE'S A REPORT TODAY WHICH
STATES THAT IN TWO CRITICAL
AREAS, MATH AND SCIENCE,
AMERICAN STUDENTS DO NOT MATCH
UP VERY WELL WITH OTHER STUDENTS
IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
>> Reporter: THE RESULTS SHOW
AMERICAN SCHOOLS ARE FAILING
THE TEST.
>> I THINK THE MOST TELLING
ASPECT OF THIS IS THERE WERE
ONLY SEVEN COUNTRIES WE CAN SAY
THAT WE ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMED.
>> Reporter: SEVEN COUNTRIES
IN THE WORLD THAT WE OUTPERFORM?
THAT'S IT IN MATH?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S LITHUANIA, CYPRUS,
PORTUGAL, COLOMBIA,
SOUTH AFRICA, IRAN AND KUWAIT.
>> Reporter: BILL SCHMIDT HELPED
DESIGN THE TEST, THE LARGEST
OF ITS KIND EVER.
BUT EVEN HE COULD NEVER HAVE
IMAGINED THAT NOT ONLY WOULD
THE OVERALL U.S. SCORES BE
SO FAR DOWN THE SCALE, BUT THAT
OUR TOP STUDENTS WOULD BE ONLY
AVERAGE IN SOME COUNTRIES.
>> THIS IS REALLY
ABOUT SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS,
OUR CHILDREN ARE AT RISK HERE.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE WAKE-UP
CALL.
>> 2 TIMES 2 TIMES 2 GIVES YOU?
EIGHT.
>> Reporter: THE QUESTION IS
WHAT TO DO.
WHY DO KIDS IN COUNTRIES LIKE
SINGAPORE, KOREA AND JAPAN
OUTSCORE U.S. KIDS SO BADLY?
IT'S NOT FOR THE REASONS
YOU PROBABLY THINK.
WHEN THE RESEARCHERS LOOKED MORE
CLOSELY, THEY BUSTED A LOT
OF STEREOTYPES --
CLASS SIZE?
THEY FOUND FOREIGN KIDS EVEN
MORE JAMD-IN THAN AMERICANS.
FANCIER SCHOOLS?
THEY SAW LESSONS CONDUCTED
IN BUILDINGS IN WORSE SHAPE THAN
OURS.
HARSH DISCIPLINE?
SLAVISH STUDYING?
HOW ABOUT THESE JAPANESE
EIGHTH GRADERS LAUGHING
DURING MATH CLASS?
SO LESS TV, MORE HOMEWORK,
SCHOOL UNIFORMS, MORE PASSION,
BETTER TEACHERS -- THAT'S NOT
IT?
>> NOT LIKELY, NO.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT WE TEACH
AND HOW WE TEACH IT.
>> WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT THIS
GRAPHIC?
ABT HOW IT CHANGES?
>> WE JUST TEACH OUR
MATHEMATICS, ESPECIALLY,
SO DIFFERENTLY FROM THE REST
OF THE WORLD.
>> Reporter: WHAT WE TEACH
AND HOW WE TEACH IT.
IT SOUNDS SO SIMPLE.
LISTEN TO HOW JULIE NELSON,
A GOOD STUDENT FROM MINNETONKA,
MINNESOTA, DESCRIBES MATH.
>> IT'S KIND OF A SET IN STONE
PROCEDURE.
YOU LEARN THE FORMULA,
AND YOU KNOW HOW TO DO MATH.
>> Reporter: SCHMIDT SAYS
THE WAY JULIE IS TAUGHT IS
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS ANY
CLASSROOM IN THE COURY -- LIKE
THIS ONE.
>> WHAT IS THIS ANGLE CALLED
HERE?
>> STRAIGHT?
>> A STRAIGHT ANGLE.
>> Reporter: THIS SEEMS LIKE
THE SAME KIND OF THING I LEARNED
IN AUBURN, MAINE.
>> YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY,
"THAT'S MY MATH TEACHER."
>> Reporter: UCLA PROFESSOR
JIM STIGLER VIDEOTAPED HUNDREDS
OF HOURS OF CLASSROOM TEACHING
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
AND COMPARED IT WITH HUNDREDS
OF HOURS OF CLASSROOM TEACHING
IN JAPAN.
NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU CAN
CLEARLY SEE THE DRAMATIC
DIFFERENCE.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE VIDEOTAPES AND YOU SEE WHAT
THEY ARE D@ING AND HOW THEY ARE
DOING IT, IT MAKES SENSE
THEY WOULD LEARN MORE.
INSTEAD OF A TEACHER STARTING
BY SHOWING YOU HOW TO DO
SOXWVKBH@J BY GIVING
YOU A PROBLEM.
AND THEN HE JUST HANGS UP A SIGN
AT THE TOP THAT SAYS "THINK."
>> Reporter: "THINK"?
>> THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS, "THINK."
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY TELLING
THEIR STUDENTS, "THINK, THINK,
THINK."
>> Reporter: IN CLASS AFTER
CLASS ON THE JAPANESE
VIDEOTAPES, STIGLER SAYS YOU SEE
TEACHERS ASKING STUDENTS
TO THINK ON THEIR OWN --
PONDERING A WAY TO SOLVE
A PROBLEM WITHOUT THE TEACHER
HAVING TOLD THEM ANY FORMULAS
OR RULES TO USE.
10 OR 15 MINUTES LATER, THEY'VE
EITHER FIGURED IT OUT,
OR THEY'VE BECOME FRUSTRATED
TRYING.
BUT EVEN THAT'S GOOD, PART
OF THEIR LEARNING PROCESS.
BUT NOT OURS.
>> WHAT IS THE RULE FOR POWER
OF A FRACTION?
POWER OF A QUOTIENT?
>> Reporter: THE IDEA IS
TO MEMORIZE THE RULE?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF RULES.
YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER ALL
THE RULES, AND THEN YOU KNOW
MATH.
>> WHAT DO WE CALL THAT?
>> Reporter: ON THE U.S. TAPES,
STIGLER SAYS IN CLASS AFTER
CLASS THERE'S A LOT OF RULES,
AND LITTLE ELSE.
>> IF I TAKEHE NUMBER OF SIDES
AND I SUBTRACT TWO
AND I MULTIPLY THAT NUMBER
BY 180 DEGREES, THAT WILL TELL
ME HOWANY DEGREES THESE ADD UP
TO.
>> Reporter: DIDN'T GET THAT,
I BET THEY DIDN'T EITHER.
>> HOW COULD THEY, WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
>> Reporter: ARE YOU SAYING THIS
IS A BAD TEACHER?
>> NO, THIS IS NOT A BAD
TEACHER.
IT'S A TYPICAL AMERICAN TEACHER.
ACTUALLY, THIS IS A GOOD TEACHER
WHO IS DOING A VERY COMPETENT
JOB OF TEACHING LIKE A TYPICAL
AMERICAN TEACHER.
>> Reporter: A TYPICAL AMERICAN
TEACHER --
>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
TOGETHER.
>> Reporter: -- WHO BELIEVES
AT THE FIRST SIGN OF CONFUSION,
THE TEACHER STEPS IN.
SHE'S TAKING THE PENCIL OUT
OF HIS HAND!
>> RIGHT.
WELL, E IS TRYING TO HP
HIM GET THROUGH THE STEPS.
>> Reporter: BUT IN JAPAN, IT'S
THE CONCEPT HIND THE RES.
>> HE DID FIGURE THIS OUT,
BUT HE'S NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW
TO EXPLAIN IT.
>> Reporter: EVEN WHEN A STUDENT
IS CONFUSED, IT IS BIEVED
HE WILL END UP UNDERSTANDING
MORE IF HE TRIES TO EXPLAIN
HIS THOUGHT PROCESS
TO THE CLASS.
>> NOW THE TEACHER IS GOING
TO GIVE HIS EXPLANATION,
BUT BY NOW, EVERYBODY IS READY
TO HEAR IT.
THAT'S THE KEY.
>> Reporter: WELL NOT JUST
READY, BUT UNLIKE
IN THE AMERICAN CLASS WHERE
IT'S, "ALL RIGHT, EXPLAIN IT,"
THEY WANT TO KNOW
BECAUSE THEY'VE SUFFERED
THROUGH NOT KNOWING.
>> EXACTLY.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT ANGLE B IS?
>> Reporter: AND IT'S NOT
JUST HOW WE TEACH, IT'S WHAT WE
TEACH.
SO MANY TOPICS, TEACHERS NEVER
CAN CONCENTRATE ON ANY ONE THING
FOR VERY LONG.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IS WE NEVER GET
PAST THAT SORT OF SUPERFICIAL
SORT OF KNOWDGE ALL THE WAY
THROUGH.
WE CALL IT THE "MILE WIDE, INCH
DEEP" CURRICULUM.
THIS IS A U.S. MATHEMATICS BOOK,
EIGHTH GRADE LEVEL, OKAY?
YOU CAN SEE IT IS
ABOUT 700 PAGES LONG.
T& Reporter: IT FEELS FAMILIAR.
>> THEY'RE BUILT LIKE
AN ENCYCLOPEDIA, IT'S A BIG
BOOK!
THE REST OF THE WORLD ARE
CARRYINGROUND BOOKS THAT LOOK
LIKE THIS.
THIS IS THE EIGHTH GRADE
JAPANESE CURRICULUM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE
PAPERBACKS, THEY'RE SMALL.
>> Reporter: THIS IS A TEXTBOOK?
>> THESE TWO COMBINED IS@
THE EQUIVALENT TO THIS.
>> Reporter: AND THEY END UP
KNOWING MORE THAN WE DO?
>> THEY END UP KNOWING MORE THAN
WE DO.
IT'S NOT JUST JAPAN LIKE THESE
BOOKS.
LOOK AT THIS BOOK.
THIS BOOK IS FROM SLOVAKIA,
ANOTHER VERY HIGH-ACHIEVING
COUNTRY.
HERE'S A RUSSIAN TEXTBOOK, IT'S
THE SAME STRAIGHTFORWARD BOOK.@
>> Reporter: RUSSIA,LOVAKIA,
JAPAN.
SCHMIDT SAYS ANY TEACHER CAN GET
INTO MORE DEPTH COVERING FIVE OR
SIX TOPICS A YEAR IN THE SMALLER
BOOKS RATH THAN 35 OR
SO IN AMERICAN TEXTBOOKS.
>> I WOULDN'WANT TO SAY "BME
THE TEACHERS, IT'S BAD
TEACHERS."
YOU NEED TO WRIT A
PROCEDURE --
>>eporter: B BEFORE YOU SAY
THAT'S THE AMERICAWAY, TAKE
A LOOK AT JUE NELSON'S SCIENCE
CLS BACK IN MIETONKA,
MINNESOTA, WHERE THE TEAERS
THEMSELVES HAVE COME UP
WITH A DIFFERENT KD OF SYSTEM.
>> I WANT YOGUYS TO COME UP
WITH YOUR
WITH AN ANSWER.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS YET
IN CLASS.
>> Reporter: ANSWERSEFORE
)aYOU LK ABOUT SETNG?
WORKING IN GROUPS?
SOUNJAPANESE?
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OFTH
ANSWER?
SOUND PLAUSIBLE?
>> MINNESOTA OFFERS THE NATION
PE.
IT SAYS, "YES, WE CAN DO IT!
AND ITAYS, "HERE'SN IDEA
OF HOW, WHAT WHAVE TO DO
IN ORDER TO DO IT, TRE
NUMBER ONE."
Reporter: IF MATH
IN MNESOTA IS TAUGHT LIKE MOST
THE COUNTRY, SCIENCE IS@
TAUGHT MORLI T RT
OF THE WORLD.
>> AREHE CRYSTALS RAND UM NR
LAYERED?
>> Reportew> I)NS THOSE FEWER
TOPICS"THAT'S THE KEY.
NOT THE JAPANESE STYLE.
DOWN THE HALL, MIKE ROGERS IS
USING HIS OWN TECHNIQUE.
WI FEWER TOPS TO COVER,
TEACHERS HAVE THE TIME
AND E FREEDOM DO WHEVER
THEY THINKS CESSARY TO MAKE
SURE KIDS ARE LEARNING.
>> Y THINK YOU TEND TO FIND AT
WHEN YOU GO INTO MORE DEH,
THE KIDS MAKE MORE CONNECTIONS.
INSTEAD OF JT MEMORIZING@@
INFORMATION, THEY!STT
TO UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN THEM.
>> Reporter: T RESULTS SPEAK
FOR THEMSELVES, WITH ESSTIALLY
ONLY THIDIFFERENCE
IN TEACHING.
THE SAME KIDS IN MINNESA WHO
D ONLY SO-SO IN MATH
ON THE INTNATION TEST,
SKYROCKETED IN SCIENCE.
ONEúCATEGORTHEYIED
R NUMBER ONE ITHE WORLD.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO BE
SImPLISTIC AND TNKHAT@
IF IN FACT WE ONLY CHANGED
TEACHING THA)@R UDENTS WOULD
LEARN MORE, THEY MAY NOT.
BUT YOU OW WHA
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE THAT
THEY WLD.
>> WE CANNOT WAIT AROUND.
RE NOT WRE WE WANTO BE.
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING,@
AND WE HAVE TO DO IT N
)a>> OCOUR, THERE ARE MANY
SOCIAL VIABLES TT FACTOR
INTO ECATI.
NO ONE IS SUGGTING BRINGING
ANOTHER COUNTRY'S SYSTEM
TO THE U.S. t&
tpREBH
OK ASOUNTHE WORLD F IDEAS
THAT WE CAN AMERICANE INTO
SOMETHING WORKABLE FOR STUDENTCM