In recent years, we\u2019ve been treated to reams of op-ed articles about how we need better teachers in our public schools and, if only the teachers\u2019 unions would go away, our kids would score like Singapore\u2019s on the big international tests. There\u2019s no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student\u2019s achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here\u2019s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children\u2019s education can also make a huge difference in a student\u2019s achievement.<\/p>\n
How do we know? Every three years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or O.E.C.D., conducts exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds in the world\u2019s leading industrialized nations on their reading comprehension and ability to use what they\u2019ve learned in math and science to solve real problems \u201d\u201d the most important skills for succeeding in college and life. America\u2019s 15-year-olds have not been distinguishing themselves in the PISA exams compared with students in Singapore, Finland and Shanghai.<\/p>\n