On Monday April 26th, the Philadelphia Math + Science Coalition and the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted a special presentation by internationally acclaimed education expert Andreas Schleicher, Education Policy Advisor to the Secretary-General, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Mr. Schleicher’s work focuses on global trends in education, comparing the U.S. with its international economic competitors. Using data collected around the world, he presented the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results of the 29 OECD countries from 2000 to 2006 and the corollary implications. Mr. Schleicher reminded the audience of 85 business leaders, policy makers, and educators that the public benefits of investing in education far outweigh the public costs. He also asserted that analytical, non-routine skills are what is necessary to succeed in college and careers. Schleicher reminded the audience that other countries have been overtaking the U.S. in math and science student achievement for the last decade.
After viewing a video about the construction of Citizens Bank Park, student groups were paired with engineers from Pennoni Associates, and Ewing Cole as well as young engineers from Drexel University, and taken on a guided tour of the stadium.