How the US ranks internationally in Math and Science

For all of the criticism against the US educational system, it's nice to see that we haven't totally lost it, although there's clearly room for improvement. An article by USA Today discusses the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS.

"It's discouraging," says Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. "Other countries are investing and we can see their progress," he says. "Do we want to be average?"

That's a hard question to answer because the competition of education around the world is fierce. To be above average requires budgets and vision. And schools are institutions which are usually resistant to change and we're talking about our nation's children so we're naturally conservative.