The single biggest factor on student performance is not any in-school factor, but rather the socioeconomic status and educational level of the parents.
The best American student mathematicians are the equal of anywhere in the world. But when people talk about poor math performance in the US, they're talking about the average—average math performance is terrible. This is because the U.S., more than any other advanced country, tolerates a high level of poverty and economic inequality. This inequality is reproduced within the educational system, and brings down our averages.
The average is lower not because the U.S. has lower performance across the board, but because so many more students lack the most basic numeracy. Too many students are going to school hungry, come from families torn apart by joblessness, abuse, and addiction, or where the single breadwinner has to work 80 hours/week in order to achieve a higher level of poverty, and simply doesn't have time to help the kids with their school work or ensure they are disciplined students, much less ferry them to all sorts of enrichment activities.
The best American student mathematicians are the equal of anywhere in the world. But when people talk about poor math performance in the US, they're talking about the average—average math performance is terrible. This is because the U.S., more than any other advanced country, tolerates a high level of poverty and economic inequality. This inequality is reproduced within the educational system, and brings down our averages.
The average is lower not because the U.S. has lower performance across the board, but because so many more students lack the most basic numeracy. Too many students are going to school hungry, come from families torn apart by joblessness, abuse, and addiction, or where the single breadwinner has to work 80 hours/week in order to achieve a higher level of poverty, and simply doesn't have time to help the kids with their school work or ensure they are disciplined students, much less ferry them to all sorts of enrichment activities.