Finland, for example, does well on international tests, but education there is inherently conservative; it is about students, not teacher unions or government or social engineering. You can be fired if you are terrible at your job and teaching is by rote. They teach to the test. China also teaches by rote but it is much different than Finland. It is social engineering but the job is prestigious; in return for social currency teachers get less of the real thing. Teachers even have to clean the bathrooms.

The US Army also teaches by rote. Every basic thing will be taught and taught again. In preparation for the test, they tell you what will be on the test, then they teach to the test.

In all cases, it works. The US Army wants no one left behind, they want a baseline and then exceptional people will be exceptional.