Is it true that the only problem with America’s schools is too many poor kids raised in less-educated families? According to a new study, from researchers Eric Hanushek (Stanford University), Paul Peterson (Harvard University), and Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich), the answer is a clear no.

Parental education has long been shown to be the best family background indicator of a student’s readiness to learn at school, and the United States’ comparatively low proficiency rates are often attributed to the large numbers of students who come from disadvantaged families, such as those where parents do not have a high school diploma. However, a new study appearing in Education Next finds that U.S. schools do as badly at teaching those from better-educated families as they do at teaching those from less well-educated families.

“U.S. Students from Educated Families Lag in International Tests: It’s not just about kids in poor neighborhoods” is available now on http://educationnext.org

Watch or attend an event to discuss this new research

Paul Peterson will present findings from this study and will be joined by Mitchell D. Chester, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts for the discussion portion. Gerard Robinson, Vice President of Partnerships, UniversityNow, will participate as a moderater.

When: Today, May 13, 2014, 12:00-1:45 PM (Eastern)

Watch Online: Launch the Livestream event

Attend In Person: Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS)– South
Room 050 (Lower Level), 1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

For more information contact: alexandra_mandzak@hks.harvard.edu  or (617) 496-5488

About Education Next

For more information about Education Next, please visit: http://educationnext.org.