Md test scores - English competency defeats 60% of students - Half fail algebra and biology

Baltimore Sun ^ | January 3, 2004 | Mike Bowler

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Maryland students scored poorly on the new high school competency examinations again last year, and officials said they expect no improvement until passing the tests is required for graduation.

About half of 65,000 students failed the 2003 algebra and biology tests, about the same rate as 2002. Four in 10 failed government, and six in 10 failed English, including a large majority of poor and minority students and those with disabilities.

The results were posted without notice on the state Education Department's Web site Christmas week, just as students and teachers were headed home for the holidays. But Gary Heath, the state testing chief, said there was no effort to hide the dismal results.

[sawyer]

But how can the parents help? Most are working.I went to summer camp as a kid and we learned a lot. even had to take Fr. but I do not think day care takes the place of a mother and father.That was also only 8 weeks as my mother ran a summer business. That would have been bad as a 12 months thing. I understand this is not the problem with math but with education of children in general.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Six in ten failed English. Well, no surprise here.

If you listen to these children, you can readily see that their entire vocabulary consists of about 250 to 300 words and those badly probounced. The English language has approximately 800,000 words in it.

These children will never be able to amount to anything, not even burger flippers because they have been cheated by the schools system. Thanks, NEA!

Regards,

[milan]

Algebra is basic. My 11 year old son is doing pre-algebra. He is my child, so he can't be too smart. I love him, but his father has limited his intelect at a genetic level :)

I stand by the arguement that Algebra is basic. We can't dumb down our society with "Algebra is too hard" language.

[sawyer]

But how can the parents help? Most are working.I went to summer camp as a kid and we learned a lot. even had to take Fr. but I do not think day care takes the place of a mother and father.That was also only 8 weeks as my mother ran a summer business. That would have been bad as a 12 months thing. I understand this is not the problem with math but with education of children in general.

[milan]

My kids go to public scholl

:) Apparently, so did I...school.

[Jim Noble]

We can't dumb down our society with "Algebra is too hard" language.

You can't dumb down or smarten up society.

It is what it is.

[Caipirabob]

We are lucky. Our local school has a Kindergarten where they do the pledge of allegiance, review religion and give home work almost 3 times a week. My son is in an advanced math course for Kindergarteners and is working on multiplication now. He is constantly telling me the sums and differences of numbers in the thousands. Apparently he is one of many children enrolled in the class.

His reading is ahead of mine at that age along with his prouncement. I had a slight speech impediment (ligament beneath the toungue we eventually had cut. Went on to learn 4 languages eventually and keep three alive every day) and he has gotten around that obstacle altogether.

We may eventually make the move to private school, but we are exceedingly pleased with his constant improvement and growth right now.

Thank God.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I read about school systems more interesting in putting up pink triangles on the various bathrooms than teaching - no wonder there are problems!

[dawn53]

I noticed that the college he's attending also has a course called "Liberal Arts Math."

In other words, it's a math course for those who couldn't pass College Algebra.

My son's College Algebra teacher seemed to be a good teacher. She'd cover a unit, let the students ask questions, dismiss the class, and if you needed one on one help, you could stay after.

She also used an incentive of exempting the final if you had an A average on the tests given during the semester. Since my son had been homeschooled, he had no concept of the principle of exempting, and the relief it would be to avoid the final. His gratification from making an A seemed to be the fact that he'd be out of math class a week early if he didn't have to go to the review for the final and then take the final.

[Desdemona]

This is nonsense. There is nothing basic about algebra, which introduces and to a degree develops the ability to abstract concrete concepts.

Very true. I realized some time ago, that while I don't use the math so much, the concepts learned in algebra, geometry, trig, and calculus helped thinking skills more than anything else.

[hershey]

We have the NEA to thank for this. Okay, and taking God and a sense of morality out of schools.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

Districts may hire private tutors for below-par schools***Thousands of students in low-performing Florida public schools may be eligible for private tutoring next fall, with local school districts forced to cover the cost.

Initially, the tutoring required under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation may be available for students at 45 Florida schools in 14 counties -- seven of those in Orange County and one in Brevard County.

But within a few years, hundreds of schools around the state may be sending students to tutors after hours to learn the reading and math skills that they did not learn in school.

Students at public schools receiving federal aid will be eligible for tutoring if their schools fail to meet federal standards three years in a row.

Federal officials reason that if schools aren't succeeding with some students, outside help is needed.

A hundred or more private companies, agencies and churches are lining up in Florida to provide the supplemental educational services, which will be required in academically deficient schools nationwide. They see money to be made and are hustling to meet a Monday state deadline for applications to tutor.

Schools are bristling at the prospect of spending their scarce dollars for private companies such as Sylvan Education Solutions, one of those hoping to be approved in Florida.***

[hershey]

You have a point. Schools have become the main laboratory for loony social tinkering. Learning the three R's isn't the first priority or any priority. The DemocRATs are happy since this is just what they've wanted-- a dumb, dumber electorate.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

These children will never be able to amount to anything, not even burger flippers because they have been cheated by the schools system. Thanks, NEA!

The NEA represents its clients - the teachers. We can thank those LIBERAL think-tanks, schools of education, for this disgrace.

[hershey]

Maybe you're right and grades don't always reflect knowledge learned, but if kids are kept busy doing homework and exercising their brains, they're not doing drugs and committing mindless acts of violence. Every time I see that TV ad with the teenager mother of two (by fifteen):she's saying now she wants to be someone, I want to weep. And the boy who casually lists past missteps with the law that earned him six months in 'juvie' (that's enough to make your skin crawl),(nobody cared if he went to school, in fact he repeated 8th grade twice), and now he's back in school and he's happier. At least he 'thinks' he's happier. Somebody'd better point out that the face in the mirror is the only person you can depend on. Have some self esteem, do the best for that person, and you'll be okay.

[ladylib]

Ann Arundel County has more problems in Annapolis High School than kids failing tests:

http://www.goodnewsweb.net/

People are also claiming that Dr. Eric Smith (superintendent of the county) is going to narrow the education gap between whites and blacks by making unqualified blacks and whites take AP courses. That's one way to do it.

Private middle school students who were thinking of attending Annapolis High School now don't want to, and many teachers and current students are thinking about ditching
the school because of a very unpopular principal whom Dr. Smith hired -- a reject from Prince Georges County who caused problems there.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Have some self esteem, do the best for that person, and you'll be okay.

But the self-esteem doctrine of public schools is a false one and the smart students know it. They're ignorant and they know it. That must be terribly frightening.

[NCLaw441]

You said: What percentage of the 18-year old population do you think is even theoretically capable of high school level academic work?

The reason our system has become a pious fraud is that its political masters think the percentage is or should be close to 100 (no child left behind).

That is an excellent point!! We do our children no favors when we suggest that all children are capable of college level education. Many, most, in fact, should prepare themselves for honorable trade or industrial or clerical work. The fact is, as a good friend puts it, that "average" is pretty stupid. We need to recognize that fact, and do what is best for our children, not what LOOKS like it is best.

[ladylib]

Many people in education in America feel that academic rigor takes a back seat to social indoctrination.