https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-way-to-reduce-the-science-achievement-gap/ > The U.S. is the world leader in science and technology. Yet there are signs that our reign will be short lived. International comparisons of science achievement find that U.S. students lag behind their counterparts from other countries, including China and Russia. Substantial science achievement gaps also exist within the U.S., dividing students in terms of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The result is a shameful amount of wasted potential. We must do a better job of preparing all U.S. students to excel in science. > Fortunately, we have a clearer picture of why some children struggle with science at school. A large-scale longitudinal study found that children who entered school with low levels of science knowledge were the ones most likely to end up on the wrong side of the achievement gap. So it's not that low-achieving students lack intelligence, or that their parents, teachers and schools are holding them back—it's what they don't know about science that hurts them.