Why is economic mobility so much lower in the United States than in comparably industrialized nations? A new report from the Pew Economic Mobility Project zeroes in on one major factor: In America there’s a stronger link between parents’ education levels and children’s success than in any other country researchers investigated.

The report notes the size of the achievement gap: “In the United States, children with high-educated parents scored in the 73rd percentile on average, compared with children who have low-educated parents and tended to score in the 27th percentile.” The report concludes that other countries have more successful policies and institutions that have helped close this achievement gap, giving children from less-educated families a greater chance of success.

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com.