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.

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

Vouchers is nothing more than another wealth redistribution scheme...

Tom, just out of curiosity, do you think the GI Bill has been a success?

Seems like a pretty good voucher program to me.

[Faraday]

I agree. My son is a junior in a public high school. This school is one of the best HS in the state by objective measures. Approximately 75% of the students successfully complete the "basic" education requirement (2 years of algebra, 1 year of geometry). Most of the rest successfully complete a slightly "watered down" math curriculum, which still embodies fundamental math concepts.

These results are exceptional. But the causes are cultural (both within and without the educational institution), not biological.

[FITZ]

I'll go out on a limb even ... in my *feeling*, the IQ of the general american popoulation has gone up maybe 10-15 points since 1940.

Maybe you should watch a couple of Jerry Springer or Maury Povich shows --- I'm not sure the IQ of the general population has gone up.

[FITZ]

My wife and I home school as well ... we both have degrees in mathematics and computer science, thus we stress math and science in our household.

I think home schooling is only good for those who would very likely make it anyhow. In this area of the country, a typical family often consists of one teenage mother middle school dropout who speaks no English, knows no math and has 2 or 3 kids by age 18. It's sad but her kids are not likely to do as well as your kids -- homeschooled or public schooled. The illegimacy and child poverty rate is growing.

[Calvin Locke]

The NEA represents its clients...

I thought the NEA represents the Democrats. An educated voter generally doesn't vote for Democrats.

BTW, didn't Clinton give the head of the NEA the Presidential Medal of Freedom? (Shanker?)

Of course, Clinton debased it by giving it to Jesse "Shakedown" Jackson as well.

[expatpat]

You are right. A true double-stream system should be set up, with separate classes, advanced subjects for the 30%, subjects of lower challenge and greater interest for the rest.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**If nice cars and houses and eating out and going on nice vacations are more important to the parents than educating one's children, then homeschooling may not be a good option for many people. For others, their children and the education of their children come first. **

Bingo. :o)

[bvw]

You have to cast a wider net than those. And go deeper into history for what captured the eyes of many in each time, how they looked at about their fancies, who they talked about it, thought about it. Look at sports. Sports fans are charicatured for oaf-ism. But's that's way off, 180 off. The typical sports fan is full of nuances and details, knowledgable of the complex, changing, dynamic interplays of the sports he or she follows -- the owner's aspect, the manager's aspect, the player's apsect, and so many others.

The sports magazines are highly literate. Amazingly literate. The TV and Radio commentaries -- complex, rich.

Far far richer and more intelligent than politcal and economic commnentary -- in the major media.

[Herodotus]

How on earth were the kids allowed into the college then, if they were not able to pass the basic algebra requirements...presumably this university is a competitive one?

[aristeides]

It's fraud. Close to half of all states' budgets go to fund education.

Fraud indeed. If the states closed the public school systems down, and paid parents to have their children educated, either through private/religious schools or through homeschooling (in my view, payment to be conditioned on passing state exams,) that bill could easily be cut in half. And the education would be vastly improved.

[FITZ]

There should be a way of casting a wide net --- try to get those bright students recognized and allow them to reach their full potential --- but at the same time --- the "no child left behind" isn't working. Teenage pregnacies in this area are going up --- what do you do with a 12 year old pregnant girl as far as her education? They've got day cares at many of the high schools here and I won't be surprised when they put them at the middle schools --- many of the girls are staying in school --- but having several kids, their gang member boyfriends are staying in school. Mostly these kids are just there --- they aren't making any progress and they're drastically lowering the test scores making the teachers seem much worse than they are.

[bvw]

Well, we have to stop the attacks on marriage and the father-mastered family. Teenagers get pregnant because (1) they are trying to enjoy that masculine love that in healthy families and societies fathers provide. I'm not talking sexual love here. And (2) a father, and a father-mother team, aren't there in the dugout managing the kids plays on the field -- the family is broken, the "managers" attentions drawn away from the field. Or the managers are fighting with each, unable to back each other up.

We have to build up fathers, build up the father-mastered partnership of a family. Bring back dowries, even. A State would be smart to pay a bride's parents money to get her married, where at least 50% of that would go to a dowry.

[mvpel]

No Child Left Behind

[CTOCS]

Re: #22

Not necessarily cheated by the system. Most of these homeys speak nothing but ebonics and gangsta. Anything else would be "acting white"

There needs to be a serious commitment by black leadership to make these kids understand that "starting at the bottom and liking it there" is not the answer.

[milan]

There is no way I can post the test. That is guarded material.

[milan]

They are allowed in, but are recommended to stay away from college algebra. They are encouraged to take the lesser math course. I can't remeber the course, but it is "foundations of math" or something like that.

[ladylib]

It does if it's set up like this one:

http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=ridgeview+classical+schools

Schools such as this one are popping up all over the country.

[ladylib]

I totally agree with you on that one. "Diversity" is a crock. "Diversity" would be the last thing I'd consider if I was looking for a school.

Whatever happened to the "environmentalism" of the 70's and 80's? Dropped like a hot potato in favor of diversity?

Who dreams up this stuff and why do so many schools fall for it?

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

but the GI Bill cannot be compared to today's educational vouchers.

Sure it can.

The GI Bill is a pure voucher program. The differences you cited below are minor & do not change that fact.

A much equitable system would be to return to taxpayers a portion of the money they paid...

Which, of course, is what a voucher does

dismantle altogether the department of education.

I agree, if it's the federal DOE you're talking about. State DOEs should continue to exist, as long as both home schooling & vouchers are options at the state/local level.

What's wrong with refunding the taxpayers and letting the parents decide?

Exactly. That's what vouchers do. (parents = taxpayers)