Beginning of Essay
There are many differences in mathematics education between the US and Japan that definitively impact the performance of students in both countries. The methods used in the delivery of information to the students, the planning leading up to the implementation of ....

Middle of Essay
.... We tend in our schools to feel that if a student doesn’t quite get something, they will be able to “pick it up” the next year, but that rarely happens. In Japan, a student is not promoted until he has mastered his current level. Also in Japan, classes are set up heterogeneously because their belief is that slow learners must work harder -- high expectations tend to show better results. In the US, oftentimes expectations are not high enough and the students do not live up to their real potential. Teaching staff in our schools lack the time provided in Japanese schools to brainstorm or work together on lesson planning and many times d ....