903271
book-review2020
JEXXXX10.1177/0022057420903271Journal of EducationBook Review
Book Review
Journal of Education
Book Review
1–2
© 2020 Trustees of Boston University
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Amanda Ripley. The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2013. 320 pp. ISBN:
978-1-451-65443-1 $12.79 (pbk)
Reviewed by: Jeremy Peña , University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX, USA and Coordinator, Academic Programs-Center for
International Studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.
DOI: 10.1177/0022057420903271
In The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That the educational systems in Finland, Poland, and South
Way (2013), Amanda Ripley explores the global state of Korea, all while continuing to examine the issues and prob-
education through the lens of three teenagers as they par- lems regarding education in the United States. In addition,
ticipated in year-long foreign exchange programs in South the introduction of the PISA is an innovative way to mea-
Korea, Poland, and Finland during the 2010–2011 aca- sure critical thinking provided the basis for Ripley’s inves-
demic year. Ripley narrates their experiences as they inte- tigation. Although the scores from the PISA provided data,
grate into new educational communities while reflecting the assessment could not inform the audience “how those
on the system in the United States at both the state and countries got so smart, or what life was like for kids in those
federal level. Incorporating data from the Program for countries, day in and day out, compared to life in America”
International Student Assessment (PISA) which attempts (Ripley, 2013, p. 25).
to measure the teaching of creativity and critical thinking, Ripley (2013) begins with the journey of Kim, from her
Ripley discusses the differences in the various components small town in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to Pietarsaari, Finland,
of the educational community such as teaching, rigor, cul- and discusses the academic deficiencies of the Oklahoma,
ture, and parental involvement. educational system, specifically in math. She states, “if
In the exploration of education in the three counties, all states were countries, Oklahoma would have ranked about
of which have seen significant improvement in academic eighty-first in the world in math” (Ripley, 2013, p. 27). In
success, Ripley (2013) identifies the critical differences in addition, the author discusses the steps Oklahoma legisla-
culture. For example, she discusses Kim, a student from tors have taken to address the gaps in achievement such as
Oklahoma and her experience in Finland “in which kids increased school funding, teacher recruitment and raises,
achieved higher-order thinking with without excessive and the failed introduction of an end-of-school test require-
competition or parental meddling” (Ripley, 2013, p. 24). ment for high school graduation. The historical context of
Instead, Finland relies on elite and rigorous teacher prepara- Oklahoma educational policy reinforces the need for the
tion programs. She also introduces Eric, a Minnesota high further investigation into best practices concerning aca-
school graduate taking a gap year, and his exposure to the demic performance, learning, expectations, and teaching.
high-stress culture of compulsive studying, high stakes test- Ripley (2013) continues the investigation as she dis-
ing, invasive parental coaching, and private tutoring acade- cusses Kim’s experiences in Finland as compared with her
mies known as hagwons in South Korea—a high-stress time in Oklahoma. For example, in conversations with Kim,
culture that produced results but increased anxiety and pres- the author takes note of the lack of technology in Finland’s
sure. Finally, Ripley (2013) recounts the experiences of classroom while also noting the success of Finland as it
Tom from Pennsylvania as he navigates the Polish educa- relates to their PISA scores. Another difference noted in text
tional community in Wroclaw and their recent rise in aca- by the author was the Finland model of preparation com-
demic success due to a cultural shift in rigor, expectations, pared with Oklahoma. Both shared similarities such as
accountability, and autonomy. In the investigation of three union protections and years of experience in the profession
unique countries and their pursuit of academic success but the preparation for teachers was vastly different. To bet-
along with the assessment of contemporary U.S. educa- ter contextualize this difference, Ripley (2013) introduces
tional affairs, one constant remained: “all children must the audience to Tiina Stara, Kim’s teacher in Finland, and
learn rigorous higher-order thinking to thrive in the modern her journey to become an educator. From the highly selec-
world” (Ripley, 2013, p. 199). tive and rigorous teacher preparation programs in Finland,
Ripley (2013) constructs a rich narrative in the investiga- to the mandatory graduate degree needed to become an edu-
tion of global education. Utilizing personal accounts, she cator, the author paints a vastly different picture compared
provides context for the contemporary state of affairs for with contemporary U.S. teacher preparation program. This
2 Journal of Education 00(0)
comparison highlights the need for more rigor in the educa- text reinforce the author’s thesis that a culture of academic
tion of teachers to facilitate academic success. success is possible through fundamental change.
Ripley (2013) also introduces the reader to Eric, a recent Through personal narratives along with in-depth research
Minnesota high school graduate participating in a year of educational outcomes, Amanda Ripley (2013) provides a
abroad program in Busan, South Korea. Eric’s local experi- case for the fundamental shift in how the United States edu-
ence in Minnesota differed from Kim’s in that Minnesota cates students in public schools. Although the text provides
ranked among the nation’s best in educational outcomes. a grim outlook with regard to the current state of education
However, like Kim, the author notes Eric’s vastly different in America, the author does provide a sense of optimism as
experience than his hometown, specifically with regard to she states, “American teenagers can perform at the top of
the pressure put on South Korean students. From the high the world on a sophisticated test of critical thinking”
stakes testing contributing to the establishment of private (Ripley, 2013, p. 198). However, change is needed to
tutoring institutions known as hagwons to the country- address contemporary issues in education. In her extensive
imposed curfew on studying to limit student exhaustion, research spanning multiple countries and the use of first-
Ripley (2013) paints a picture of South Korea as an educa- hand perspectives of Kim, Eric, and Tom, Ripley (2013)
tional pressure cooker. This model of education coupled concludes with a call for the creation of an intellectual cul-
with the pressure of high stakes testing can have fatal con- ture fueled by highly trained educations and rigor. It is the
sequences as Ripley recounts the murder of a mother by her hope of the author that her findings can inspire educational
teenage son to prevent her from attending a parent–teacher administrators, legislators, and community to critically
conference. The inclusion of such a catastrophic by-product evaluate the current state of the educational system while
of pressure in education further illustrates the culture of looking at effective models around the world to ensure the
education in South Korea and their fatal price of educa- continued success of our nation. For example, administra-
tional success on the mental well-being of their students. tors, school officials, and teacher educators can look at the
Finally, through the introduction of Tom, a student from rigorous teacher preparation model of Finland as a way to
Pennsylvania participating in a year-long program in Poland, adequately prepare teachers for contemporary education. In
Ripley (2013) recounts the sudden rise in academic scores of addition, contemporary educational leaders can research
a country where “in a United Nations comparison of chil- how Poland quickly closed their educational achievement
dren’s well-being” ranked “dead last in the developed world” gap and potentially implement similar strategies and inter-
(p. 127). Tom’s experience in Poland was during a time of ventions in their respective communities. It is important for
transition for a nation that had surpassed the United States in institutional leaders to constantly be aware of trends and
less than a decade. Through Tom’s experience, the author strategies for improving all facets of education. The
investigates the four comprehensive reforms instituted by Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way
the Polish government: the introduction of rigor, standard- (Ripley, 2013) provides a snapshot of global education and
ized testing as a means to measure of accountability and a a starting point in researching varying perspectives on edu-
way to identify and assist low-performing students, the rais- cating a growing and diverse society.
ing of expectations, and the increase in autonomy for teach-
ers, principals, and local authorities. The examination of ORCID iD
reforms along and the subsequent success outlined in the Jeremy Peña [Link]
