Lots of parents pick their home location based on the quality of the school district. Realtors and proud school administrators help stoke their interest by publishing standardized test scores and rankings.

But how does the curriculum in your school compare with schools elsewhere in the world? This investigation compared the educational goals of kindergarten to fourth grade in six cities around the world, and came up with some eye-opening differences. See how the expectations in your school compare with New York City, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Johannesburg, and Moscow.

Why does it matter? In a knowledge-based global economy, those with the best education will have an advantage.