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Monday, August 13, 2012

Education Olympics: How Does the U.S. Rank? | PBS NewsHour

Education Olympics: How Does the U.S. Rank? | PBS NewsHour:


Education Olympics: How Does the U.S. Rank?

The United States left the 2012 London Olympics with 104 medals in tow. But how do we stack up against the world when it comes to education?
According to this infograph by Certification Map, the U.S. -- which leads in gold medal count -- is ranked seventh in high school graduation rates, trailing countries like Germany, Japan and Great Britain.

Click to enlarge this graphic by Certification Map.
Fourth to last place was not always the case, reports American Graduate partner station WAMU's Kavitha Cardoza. The United States used to lead in high school graduation rates, but as developed countries continued to improve, our progress plateaued around 76 percent. Here are some key findings from her report: