The link they provide is to reading results, but the article is citing math results. Where are those? The reading is showing 4th and 8th grade levels are at exactly the level they were in 1992, which incidentally, is when I was in 6th grade. Telling me kids today are exactly as stupid as me doesn't sound quite as alarming. I'm actually kind of surprised scores went up by 2019. Also, "biggest ever" is since 1969 since…
Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
21–30 of 68 posts
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#22what does proficient in math mean?
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#23Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#24Quoted post unavailable.
>ability is formed by biological intelligence
This is quite a claim. Do you have _any_ information to back this up?
Because if you don't have studies about this very topic to quote, I'm going to assume you're just racist.
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#25Quoted post unavailable.
This comment is getting downvoted because of poor wording. The accusations of racism are excessive and it's obvious these people have a pointless axe to grind.
I think what OP is trying to say is this:
1. There is a biological component to intelligence. This doesn't imply race. If it was possible to reach 200 IQ with hard work a lot more people would be there.
2. Breaking scores down by ethnicity may elucidate data that imply the poor level of education of this cohort in general may be leading to inappropriately reduced performance in schools. Anecdotally, I have family that teach at title 1 schools that deal with immigrants that have little command of English. The result is as expected, universally they do remarkably poorly on every test. Children of this cohort also do poorly. The schools, unfortunately, are punished severely. Not speaking English except at school has a dramatic effect on ones ability to learn if you have no command of the lingua franca. The cost to double classes and have special Spanish classes, for example, is not only expensive but does not prepare a child for existing in a world where everything is in English.
I think OP could've worded things better but regardless there is some truth to it. If we extrapolate test scores from title 1 schools to this population it calls into question: are we doing enough and should we inappropriately punish schools for taking this additional burden on?
It is clear immigration does not correlate to ability to learn. However, this cohort of amnesty recipients are a special case. I am convinced other comments cannot read, or willfully misread OP, in order to signal their virtue.
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the end of the day, if parents don't value education, there's nothing an educator can do to fix that. Even truancy laws can't force a kid to pay attention and do their homework.
Perhaps we can stop at least spending the public's money on parents who don't value educating their children.
Holy hell. Have some empathy.
Shitty parents are not the fault of a CHILD.
Offering a child a safe space, food, and possibly education is the least we can do as a society.
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the end of the day, if parents don't value education, there's nothing an educator can do to fix that. Even truancy laws can't force a kid to pay attention and do their homework.
Perhaps we can stop at least spending the public's money on parents who don't value educating their children.
We aren't spending the money on the parents though, we are spending it on their children, who deserve that attempt even if they aren't able to fully take advantage of it.
Ruthlessly optimizing use of "the public's money" is not inherently virtuous, but providing the universal opportunity for education is. If it is spent to offer an education, and that offer is not accepted, it is still money well spent.
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#28Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
During the first year of schools being shutdown, I was dating a middle school guidance counselor and her experience matched what you posted. She had a very difficult time contacting parents and if she was able to get in touch with them, most said there was nothing they could do about their child choosing not to participate in remote school. She was entirely powerless to do anything except offer remote tutoring servic…
At the end of the day, if parents don't value education, there's nothing an educator can do to fix that. Even truancy laws can't force a kid to pay attention and do their homework.
It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with valuing education. Not everyone got to work from home during the pandemic. Those in the lower economic class had to continue to work 8 or more hours a day to put food on the table. It is hard to make a kid pay attention to school when they don't want to if you aren't there.
Re: Just 26% of US 8th graders proficient in math, in biggest-ever setback
#30It's hard for people without kids to realize just how much COVID-related school closures fucked everything up.
An entire generation of students is at risk of forever being behind. And even those that always attended online class, did all the work, and excelled given the circumstances are still going to fall behind because so many of their peers in the classroom are behind that entire curriculums are changing to accommodate those students.
I feel terrible for everyone involved, but especially the kids that have been set back literally years. And what's more is that this is going to further the divide between lower income/high income families. Those that were able to afford private tutoring, have one parent stop working to help educate their children, or afford to transfer their kids to a private/prep school.
There may be nothing we take more for granted in this country than public education and the very foundations are crumbling beneath us.