BookExhibit

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Why Schools Matter: A Cross-national Comparison of Curriculum and Learning
Schmidt, W. H., McKnight, C. C., Houang, R. T., Wang, H., Wiley, D. E., Cogan, L. S. & Wolfe R. G. (2001)

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
ISBN: 0787956848

What will it take for [U.S.] schools to provide world-class education in mathematics and science? This groundbreaking study of the curriculum-achievement connection in mathematics and science has important implications for what we teach and the standards we set in schools.

Why Schools Matter offers an in-depth examination of the information that came out of the TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study). Launched in 1995, the TIMSS looks at mathematics and science achievement in over forty countries at the elementary, middle, and high school level. In that study, the United States lags behind other countries, especially by the end of secondary school. The study also reveals that it is not the quality of the students that contributes to this low achievement. It is, in fact, what is being taught that makes a difference. The standards, the textbooks, the sequence, and the depth of the content taught are the key to improving mathematics and science achievement. William Schmidt and his research team confirm that curriculum has a profound effect on student achievement and plays a crucial role in providing opportunities for student learning.

Drawing on the rich data from the TIMSS, Schmidt and his coauthors analyze a wealth of information from teachers, textbooks, and curricular specifications to reveal how cultural context shapes curriculum and instruction and how they in turn affect learning, achievement, and educational opportunity. The authors conclude that reform efforts should be redirected to creating challenging curriculum across all years of schooling for all students. Written for academics, teachers, school and district administrators, directors of curriculum, educational policy makers, educational researchers, and anyone who cares about the future of our children’s education, Why Schools Matter offers clear direction for improving learning in our nation’s classrooms. (Description from the book cover)

	William H. Schmidt is a University Distinguished Professor specializing in quantitative research methods. A leader in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), with numerous research publications, he also works directly with states and school districts on the implications of TIMSS. Richard T. Houang is the associate director for the US National Research Center for TIMSS, specializing in quantitative research methods. Building on extensive earlier publications, his current research interest is in quantifying curriculum for relational analysis.
Hsing-chi Wang is a senior researcher in the TIMSS team at MSU. Lee Cogan is a senior researcher for the US National Research Center for TIMSS, with a strong publication record in national and international educational surveys. His current research interest is in measurement of curriculum and classroom instruction in mathematics and sciences.
------------------------------------------------------------- Why Schools Matter: A Cross-national Comparison of Curriculum and Learning Schmidt, W. H., McKnight, C. C., Houang, R. T., Wang, H., Wiley, D. E., Cogan, L. S. & Wolfe R. G. (2001) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 0787956848 What will it take for [U.S.] schools to provide world-class education in mathematics and science? This groundbreaking study of the curriculum-achievement connection in mathematics and science has important implications for what we teach and the standards we set in schools. Why Schools Matter offers an in-depth examination of the information that came out of the TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study). Launched in 1995, the TIMSS looks at mathematics and science achievement in over forty countries at the elementary, middle, and high school level. In that study, the United States lags behind other countries, especially by the end of secondary school. The study also reveals that it is not the quality of the students that contributes to this low achievement. It is, in fact, what is being taught that makes a difference. The standards, the textbooks, the sequence, and the depth of the content taught are the key to improving mathematics and science achievement. William Schmidt and his research team confirm that curriculum has a profound effect on student achievement and plays a crucial role in providing opportunities for student learning. Drawing on the rich data from the TIMSS, Schmidt and his coauthors analyze a wealth of information from teachers, textbooks, and curricular specifications to reveal how cultural context shapes curriculum and instruction and how they in turn affect learning, achievement, and educational opportunity. The authors conclude that reform efforts should be redirected to creating challenging curriculum across all years of schooling for all students. Written for academics, teachers, school and district administrators, directors of curriculum, educational policy makers, educational researchers, and anyone who cares about the future of our children’s education, Why Schools Matter offers clear direction for improving learning in our nation’s classrooms. (Description from the book cover)