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Just how far behind the rest of the world are US students?  
According to Yong Zhoa, a distinguished professor at Michigan State University and founding director fo the Center for Teching and Tehnology, the American public education system is well-positioned to produce students with the skills needed to compete in an era of increased technology and globlization.  He suggests that the current reform efforts, calls for increased standardization and accountability, misinterpret the strenghts of American public schools and fails to address the needs of students living in an era of globalization.
Zhoa believes that comparing U.S. test scores to those of students in other countries has created a misconception about the quality of U.S. education.  To meet the challenges of the 21st century, American schools must stop focusing on test scores and strive to:
Produce students with creative and enterpreneurial tendencies; give students opportunities to experience and learn form developing technologies; and open the curriculum to subjects other than those tested by the common core standards.
This educator believe that Mr. Zhora is correct in his thinking that American school need to be looking forward, not just at standardized tests that reflect 19th century idoms and stop compareing our students to students from other countries.  Our students need to be the thinkers, and discoverers.  Not the builders and polishers. 
Zhoa also says that to achiefe meaningful school reforms, America needs a political enviromnent that will encourage education leadrs to innovate rather than increase standardization, and that elementary school principals play a critical role in ensuring that reform efforts meet the needs of American students.