In conjunction with NBC News’s “Education Nation” summit, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports hosted Amanda Ripley, author of “The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way.” The discussion included the need for increased rigor and critical thinking skills among US students, and Ripley’s research into education in countries that are perceived to be outperforming the US academically. Asked about the Common Core Standards, Ripley said, “All the countries I looked at that are really the education superpowers of the world right now...all did something like the Common Core. They huddled together, swallowed their pride we’re going to agree on higher, fewer, deeper standards on what all kids should know at every level.”