<p>No matter immigrants or whatever, k-12 in the USA is in very bad shape, pushing busy boring work and not developing analytical thinking because of extremely low level of math and science instructions. I know that I will be called basher. I do not care, I state the facts. K-12 does not prepare kids to go to science / engineering, with very many top caliber students are faced with either having paid tutors in college to bering them up to needed level or dropping their original dream. I am not sayting that test/exams should be goals in k-12. I am not supporting this at all. I would love to see real math / chemistry / physics, biology starting in middle school and gradually moving to higher level in HS. You cannot cram physics in one year, it is impossible, and it will never be accomplished. Physics is required by most science / pre-med / engineering majors. Correct way of learning physics is to use certain level of math that is also is way behind in middle school. Lots of good students are very bored in their math classes. These should be offerred to everybody, not selected few who have won some competition.</p>