Another Day, Another Stat
Another Reason for Innovation
Not that we needed any more reasons for innovation…
But the latest news about how our schools perform - the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) - on Tuesday revealed a significant decline in math scores for 15-year-olds in the U.S. compared to 2018, the last test administration, which measures student achievement in math and science in 37 countries finds that once again the US’s record is in the proverbial toilet.
As New York Times Reporter Sarah Mervosh points out:
“In the first comparable global results since the coronavirus pandemic, 15-year-olds in the United States scored below students in similar industrialized democracies like the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, and well behind students in the highest-performing countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Estonia — continuing an underperformance in math that predated the pandemic.”
She also said that “the bleak math results were offset by a stronger performance in Reading and science, where the United States scored above average internationally.”
That said, the U.S. is 9th in Reading internationally and 16th in Science. Not sure why we would cheer at all either considering nothing is stopping us - technically, as the most free nation on earth - from being the best.
Innovators Put Pedal to the Metal in Miami
The prep time and hard work of the incredible team at the Yass Prize, powered by the Center for Education Reform, all paid off when we convened the most innovative education entrepreneurs of 2023 for their final and only in-person week of the Yass Prize Accelerator. Talk about exhilarating! The 33 and their senior leadership talked and walked and collaborated and pitched after hours of engaging conversations, training, coaching and some well-deserved fun.
They got to let their hair down for a Cuban-style dinner the night before their final pitch, including some fun with the Yass Prize women on our team!
Countdown to the Big Announcement!
And now we count down to just over one week from now, when the winner of the 2023 $1 Million Yass Prize and the Finalists representing the best of education opportunity and innovation are announced in New York City.
We start live at Forbes on Fifth for a rapid-fire set of panels highlighting each of the individual 33 on issues of importance. Mark your calendar now to join us at YassPrize.org to watch from noon until 2:30 pm.
Details about the program will be available tomorrow, December 6, on the official website or via X (Twitter).
Then we culminate with the Yass Prize Celebration Gala and big reveal! You can follow along with the fun @YassPrize on X around 9 pm that night! Don't worry - we will remind you! You will not want to miss it!!
Ciao Ciao!
I’m off to hobnob with Congressional Italian Americans who represent a broad swath of Americans with their characteristic tough Italian attitudes! Thanks to the National Italian American Foundation which advances the interests of all Italian-Americans, we will be honoring US Senator Joe Manchin (born Mancina!) of West Virginia, who will be retiring at the end of his term and who in my mind demonstrates what it’s like to vote your principles and not just your party!
Fino a prossimo! - Jeanne
I will be curious to see if a shift to entrepreneurial education improves PISA results in the US. The evidence is not strong.