Abstract
In The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way (2013), Amanda Ripley explores the global state of education through the lens of three teenagers as they participated in year-long foreign exchange programs in South Korea, Poland, and Finland during the 2010–2011 academic year. Ripley narrates their experiences as they integrate into new educational communities while reflecting on the system in the United States at both the state and federal level. Incorporating data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which attempts to measure the teaching of creativity and critical thinking, Ripley discusses the differences in the various components of the educational community such as teaching, rigor, culture, and parental involvement.
In the exploration of education in the three counties, all of which have seen significant improvement in academic success, Ripley (2013) identifies the critical differences in culture. For example, she discusses Kim, a student from Oklahoma and her experience in Finland “in which kids achieved higher-order thinking with without excessive competition or parental meddling” (Ripley, 2013, p. 24). Instead, Finland relies on elite and rigorous teacher preparation programs. She also introduces Eric, a Minnesota high school graduate taking a gap year, and his exposure to the high-stress culture of compulsive studying, high stakes testing, invasive parental coaching, and private tutoring academies known as hagwons in South Korea—a high-stress culture that produced results but increased anxiety and pressure. Finally, Ripley (2013) recounts the experiences of Tom from Pennsylvania as he navigates the Polish educational community in Wroclaw and their recent rise in academic success due to a cultural shift in rigor, expectations, accountability, and autonomy. In the investigation of three unique countries and their pursuit of academic success along with the assessment of contemporary U.S. educational affairs, one constant remained: “all children must learn rigorous higher-order thinking to thrive in the modern world” (Ripley, 2013, p. 199).
Ripley (2013) constructs a rich narrative in the investigation of global education. Utilizing personal accounts, she provides context for the contemporary state of affairs for the educational systems in Finland, Poland, and South Korea, all while continuing to examine the issues and problems regarding education in the United States. In addition, the introduction of the PISA is an innovative way to measure critical thinking provided the basis for Ripley’s investigation. Although the scores from the PISA provided data, the assessment could not inform the audience “how those countries got so smart, or what life was like for kids in those countries, day in and day out, compared to life in America” (Ripley, 2013, p. 25).
Ripley (2013) begins with the journey of Kim, from her small town in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to Pietarsaari, Finland, and discusses the academic deficiencies of the Oklahoma, educational system, specifically in math. She states, “if states were countries, Oklahoma would have ranked about eighty-first in the world in math” (Ripley, 2013, p. 27). In addition, the author discusses the steps Oklahoma legislators have taken to address the gaps in achievement such as increased school funding, teacher recruitment and raises, and the failed introduction of an end-of-school test requirement for high school graduation. The historical context of Oklahoma educational policy reinforces the need for the further investigation into best practices concerning academic performance, learning, expectations, and teaching.
Ripley (2013) continues the investigation as she discusses Kim’s experiences in Finland as compared with her time in Oklahoma. For example, in conversations with Kim, the author takes note of the lack of technology in Finland’s classroom while also noting the success of Finland as it relates to their PISA scores. Another difference noted in text by the author was the Finland model of preparation compared with Oklahoma. Both shared similarities such as union protections and years of experience in the profession but the preparation for teachers was vastly different. To better contextualize this difference, Ripley (2013) introduces the audience to Tiina Stara, Kim’s teacher in Finland, and her journey to become an educator. From the highly selective and rigorous teacher preparation programs in Finland, to the mandatory graduate degree needed to become an educator, the author paints a vastly different picture compared with contemporary U.S. teacher preparation program. This comparison highlights the need for more rigor in the education of teachers to facilitate academic success.
Ripley (2013) also introduces the reader to Eric, a recent Minnesota high school graduate participating in a year abroad program in Busan, South Korea. Eric’s local experience in Minnesota differed from Kim’s in that Minnesota ranked among the nation’s best in educational outcomes. However, like Kim, the author notes Eric’s vastly different experience than his hometown, specifically with regard to the pressure put on South Korean students. From the high stakes testing contributing to the establishment of private tutoring institutions known as hagwons to the country-imposed curfew on studying to limit student exhaustion, Ripley (2013) paints a picture of South Korea as an educational pressure cooker. This model of education coupled with the pressure of high stakes testing can have fatal consequences as Ripley recounts the murder of a mother by her teenage son to prevent her from attending a parent–teacher conference. The inclusion of such a catastrophic by-product of pressure in education further illustrates the culture of education in South Korea and their fatal price of educational success on the mental well-being of their students.
Finally, through the introduction of Tom, a student from Pennsylvania participating in a year-long program in Poland, Ripley (2013) recounts the sudden rise in academic scores of a country where “in a United Nations comparison of children’s well-being” ranked “dead last in the developed world” (p. 127). Tom’s experience in Poland was during a time of transition for a nation that had surpassed the United States in less than a decade. Through Tom’s experience, the author investigates the four comprehensive reforms instituted by the Polish government: the introduction of rigor, standardized testing as a means to measure of accountability and a way to identify and assist low-performing students, the raising of expectations, and the increase in autonomy for teachers, principals, and local authorities. The examination of reforms along and the subsequent success outlined in the text reinforce the author’s thesis that a culture of academic success is possible through fundamental change.
Through personal narratives along with in-depth research of educational outcomes, Amanda Ripley (2013) provides a case for the fundamental shift in how the United States educates students in public schools. Although the text provides a grim outlook with regard to the current state of education in America, the author does provide a sense of optimism as she states, “American teenagers can perform at the top of the world on a sophisticated test of critical thinking” (Ripley, 2013, p. 198). However, change is needed to address contemporary issues in education. In her extensive research spanning multiple countries and the use of firsthand perspectives of Kim, Eric, and Tom, Ripley (2013) concludes with a call for the creation of an intellectual culture fueled by highly trained educations and rigor. It is the hope of the author that her findings can inspire educational administrators, legislators, and community to critically evaluate the current state of the educational system while looking at effective models around the world to ensure the continued success of our nation. For example, administrators, school officials, and teacher educators can look at the rigorous teacher preparation model of Finland as a way to adequately prepare teachers for contemporary education. In addition, contemporary educational leaders can research how Poland quickly closed their educational achievement gap and potentially implement similar strategies and interventions in their respective communities. It is important for institutional leaders to constantly be aware of trends and strategies for improving all facets of education. The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way (Ripley, 2013) provides a snapshot of global education and a starting point in researching varying perspectives on educating a growing and diverse society.
