[jiggyboy]

Indeed. What is now virtually the entire middle-school student body in CA suffered the abuse of the "whole language" scam during the years when they were supposed to be learning reading the "old-fashioned" (i.e., effective) way. Instead, they are noticeably crippled for life. The suggestion that half the students are performing well is good news by itself, and much better news than we have had for some years, and damn any alleged or (more likely) imagined disparities due to family income &c.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

What is now virtually the entire middle-school student body in CA suffered the abuse of the "whole language" scam during the years when they were supposed to be learning reading the "old-fashioned" (i.e., effective) way. Instead, they are noticeably crippled for life

Whole language is why I pulled my kid from the government school system after the second grade. He still struggles with reading but has improved to the point that he is "above" average as far as the state, is concern but lousy as far as I am concerned. He is now in the upper grades of high school.

His younger brother who has been home-schooled from the begining is preforming post high school level in science and math in the sixth grade. He is above grade level in every area of state testing but one. Cultural studies, as if we care.