I have spent time in educational systems outside the U.S., I don't think it is a U.S. centric problem. Math and the sciences are extremely cumulative, this means that you have to keep at it. That in turn either requires passion or a system much like exists in China/India where you have an entire nation designed to put as much pressure on kids to make sure they get good grades on one silly exam or the other.

This shit is hard, which is why not a lot of people survive at it. I don't see how America can move to the Asian system of training without a lot of people here rebelling against that. Maybe an alternative would be to expose kids to the idea that life is actually hard in the real world sooner.