Archived: The Educational System in the United States: Case Study Findings

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The Educational System
in the United States:
Case Study Findings
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
U.S. Department of Education
Archived Information

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iii
Acknowledgments
The Case Study Project was directed by Harold Stevenson and co-directed by Shin-
Ying Lee of the University of Michigan’s Center for Human Growth and Develop-
ment. From careful conceptual planning to the insightful feedback on multiple
drafts of these chapters, their leadership has been inspirational and motivating.
The project was administered by Roberta Nerison-Low, whose attention to the
day-to-day management of a project unfolding on three continents made the entire
endeavor possible.
We would like to thank Lois Peak of the National Center for Education Statistics
at the U.S. Department of Education, who coordinated the Case Study Project with
the other major studies in this collaborative effort. We would like to thank those
at Westat, Inc., especially Trevor Williams and Nancy Caldwell, who provided
administrative and organizational support. Our appreciation also goes to the mem-
bers of the advisory panel who provided useful comments on the chapter drafts,
including Robert LeVine and others. We also thank David Uttal and Kathleen Dar-
ling for providing us with knowledgeable assistance in the planning stages of the
project. In addition, we would like to acknowledge and thank the individuals who
researched and wrote the literature review of the topics slated to be investigated
in the case studies in Japan, Germany and the United States. The contributing au-
thors include Mark A. Ashwill, David Crystal, William C. Foraker, Chris Frasz,
Andrew Fuligni, Barbara K. Hofer, Kazuo Kato, Wolfgang Mack, Carolyn A.
McCarty, Mark Milotich, Ute Milotich, Naoko Moriyoshi, Roberta Nerison-Low,
Heidi Schweingruber, and Douglas Trelfa.
Our greatest debt of gratitude is owed to all of the teachers, parents, students,
and administrators who allowed us into their schools, their homes, and their lives
and took the time to talk with us. Without their generous participation this
project would have never come to fruition.

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v
Contents
Acknowledgments
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iii
Notes on Researchers and Authors
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xiii
Executive Summary
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xv
Chapter 1