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Thursday, April 28, 2016

Just 37% of U.S. High School Seniors Prepared for College Math and Reading

Only 37% of American 12th-graders were academically prepared for college math and reading in 2015, a slight dip from two years earlier, according to test scores released Wednesday.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” said that share was down from an estimated 39% in math and 38% in reading in 2013.

Educators and policy makers have long lamented that many seniors get diplomas even though they aren’t ready for college, careers or the military. Those who go to college often burn through financial aid or build debt while taking remedial classes that don’t earn credits toward a degree.

Bill Bushaw, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the test, said the board was pleased that high school graduation rates were rising, but disappointed in the lack of progress in boosting students’ skills and knowledge.

“These numbers aren’t going the way we want,” he said. “We just have to redouble our efforts to prepare our students to close opportunity gaps.”

The biggest problems came at the bottom, with growth in the share of students deemed “below basic” in their abilities. In math, 38% of students were in that group in 2015, compared with 35% two years earlier. In reading, 28% of students were “below basic,” compared with 25%.

More here

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is much more profit to be made by requiring college freshmen to take remedial classes to "come up to speed" rather than fix the high school problem.

Anonymous said...

And we all know the Common Core is going to send those math percentages through the roof! Yes, that is sarcasm

Anonymous said...

Joe can you pass the word that Parkside High School Baseball games against Stephan Decatur HS have just been canceled.


Games also canceled for this afternoon are

Fruitland Little League

Princess Anne Little League

Many Thanks

Anonymous said...

A friend of mine who is employed by a very large international architectural firm (they have over 25 offices in N. America, a few in Latin America, several in the UAE and more than 1/2 dozen in Asia) told me recently that if someone with an engineering degree applies and the degree was from a public university it goes to the back of the pile. IF the degree was from a public U AND the person played in college sports the application was thrown in the trash.
She also told me that recent graduates who spent time in both high school and college volunteering for multiple non profits were given priority in hiring.

Anonymous said...

Let me see: no attendance policy (show up when and for as long as you want), no real enforced discipline (do whatevEr you want), come and text all day on your approved cell phone (and dare a teacher to take it away)...CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY TEST SCORES ARE NOT IMPROVING ????

Anonymous said...

Public school has been dumbed down for equality.

Anonymous said...

4:24 well said because that isn't an exaggeration, it is the absolute truth. What happened to the days when children were told by their parents and the law that parents were responsible for their children until age 18?

Anonymous said...

The US public schools need to be renamed US pre-detention centers because that is all they are anymore. It's a place for them to hang around until they aren't minors anymore and they can go to prison.