text: While I don't think "we are competing with the Chinese, or something", the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) studies since 1995 have consistently shown that in 4th and 8th grades, in both math and science, the policies, training, and curricula employed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and the PRC, out performed all others. Whether one believes algebra (in middle school and high school) is generally useful, or not, whether one believes that an adequate introduction to schools mathematics literacy can be easily obtained by an on-line provider, or not, we can either learn from their efforts, or choose to ignore them -- either way, the next TIMSS data set is highly likely to again, for the third decade in a row, place Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and the PRC well above Oregon's scores in math and science, measured at grades 4 and 8.