For one, enrollment is on the rise for grades K-12: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools rose an estimated 26 percent between 1985 and 2007.

CNN: 10 growing jobs in education

In general, girls are less likely than boys to start school but boys are at greater risk of repeating grades and dropping out, according to the Digest.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

When researchers tried to lift the grades of struggling college students by raising their self-esteem, the students' grades got worse, according to a 2007 study of 86 students published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

WSJ: The Right Level of Self-Esteem for a Child

Upon request of the Ministry of Education, UNESCO Iraq Office has completed the assessment of math and science textbooks for grades 4, 8 and 11, according to the international standards and using content analysis approach.

UNESCO: presents the findings of textbooks evaluation to Minister of Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, 55% of applicants do not get the grades predicted by their teachers.

ECONOMIST: University-entrance requirements: Shoot for the stars | The