[GeronL]

Four in 10 failed government

Government is the failure

These kids cannot learn unless they are taught, Mommy and Daddy do NOT care what goes at school anymore... its up to the kids and a good teacher might inspire them.

Of course, its public schools in a major city... the kids probably whip the teachers rear ends daily.

:o)

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[milan]

I have one for you. I grade and provide reports on college placement exams for a University here in Southern Georgia. Specifically, I wrote the program that grades and reports on the math placement exam. 2/3 of all incoming freshman (about 1500 new students every semester) get a 50% or below. There is nothing on the test higher than Algebra. 20 questions. We have at least 1 person get a zero every other semster!

Anyways, not only do 2/3 get 50% or lower, but out of that 1/3 that is left, only about 40-50 (of 300+ taking it) actually pass the test. This pattern repeats itself as it has for the past 2 years. I was so dumbfounded that I offered to take the test myself. Made a 14. No genius, but I had not seen algebra in over 3 years. These high schoolers should have just seen it and also been preparing for the test...

I honestly have to go grade one of these tomorrow. We know my program is working when 2/3 fail. Seriously. If the statistics don't change, we know there weren't any problems with the program. Isn't that sad?

[ClearCase_guy]

I find it interesting that 50% fail algebra, and 60% fail English -- presumably their native language!

Yes, parents should do better. But the schools do not carry their load. Teaching this stuff (for basic competency) ISN'T hard -- I've done it. But the teachers focus on hair-brained theories and just don't make the kids do the work. It's pitiful.

I support vouchers so that the parents who care, and the teachers who want to make a difference, can congregate in private schools -- away from unions and government intrusion.

[Jim Noble]

One of my favorite subjects (and yours too).

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).

The real number is probably closer to 25 than it is to 100.

There are urban school districts where the number is zero.

[woofer]

About half of 65,000 students failed the 2003 algebra and biology tests

How to explain this?

I think it's because of the pressure to mainline the homosexual agenda in the elementary and secondary school sectors of our society.
One plus one homosexual can't multiply, but only divide.
Biologically, humans as mammals aren't asexual, requiring one male and one female to reproduce. Not spread by recruitment or adoption.

[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,

[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.

[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.

[ml/nj]

I think such reports are overly pessimistic. I sit in on 10 to 20 classes a year at two different major universities. I'm not sure I can recall a single student whom I felt did not belong over the half dozen years I have been doing this. Sure, not all the kids or even a majority open their mouths in any given class but the ones that do would not have any trouble with any sort of basic skills test.

ML/NJ

[MissAmericanPie]

The socialist school system spends twelve years instilling unmerited self esteem in children and you post an article like this. You trying to ruin everything?;o)

[Faraday]

The English exam, on reading, writing and grammar, was the most troublesome in the 2003 testing. "From our preliminary look at the numbers, English is the hardest test for students with limited English proficiency, special-ed children and poor children," said Heath.

What would we do without educational experts?

[milan]

Okay, I finished grading the math placement tests yesterday. Only 84 students showed up (classes start Moday and this was the final session). There are 20 questions on the test. Out of 84 students, 81 scored a 12 or below. That means that 81 out of 84 students got a 60% or below. However, only about 4 people got a 12, so about 77 people got a 55% or below. The lowest score was a 2. There were 3 of those. If I remember correctly, the highest was an 18 (18, 16, 14 were the high scores). I was amazed to see that we didn't get any zeros, which happens from time to time.