Literature Review Brief: The Global Achievement Gap

Recently I read The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner (2008) and was enlightened to the importance the education system plays in the economic security of our nation.  Wagner is a respected education consultant who heads the Change Leadership Group at Harvard University.  This book begins with Wagner's suggestion for school curriculum reform and goes on to review the old system (i.e., what schools are doing now).  Wagner proposes that more so than any other achievement gap in the United States (economic, racial, etc.), that the global gap is the most serious issue.  In order for our economy and nation to survive, we must prepare our students to be effective global workers.  Wagner poignantly states that "The United States is not developing its intellectual capital like other countries are." which brings to light that the U.S. is not the leader in education as it once was.  When looking at the international rankings of student assessments, such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the U.S. is not near the top, but is below dozens of other countries.  The issue, Wagner argues, is that in the age of international companies, how are American citizens to compete with the countless other countries that are outperforming us academically?  Tony Wagner provides suggestions for ways in which the system can be improved, with a special focus on his "Seven Survival Skills".  This book is a wake up call to why education reform is so important to the success and survival of the United States in a global era.