Re: High School
I have repeatedly asked the questions:
1) “What percentage of youth are capable of finishing high school for the diploma to have any meaning? “
Re: Elementary School
2) “What percentage of the population will have an IQ high enough to finish 8th grade?”
In an completely privatized and NON-compulsory system of education these questions would be answered privately between the parents, the child, and the administrators of private schools.
In a NON-compulsory market of schooling schools would emerge that would appropriately educate and train children based on their IQ and talents.
Nice to read this. I've posted the same question here on education threads many times.
There's not a lot of data. The white high school graduation rate in 1941 (graduation in June, draft screenings beginning in November) was 25%.
This probably approximates the percentage of the white population capable of mastering true twelfth grade work - maybe throw in 10% for students forced to skip 12th grade due to dire family economic circumstances.
Legislators who keep passing laws requiring Algebra II in their high schools (and FReepers who keep advocating for it) are like King Canute ordering the waves to recede. All "raising standards" does (if you presume a natural graduation rate of 100%) is increase the amount of fraud and lying required of the schools.
If universal public free education does not end by Grade 8 at the latest, nothing else really matters.