stevenpiziks (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stevenpiziks) wrote2010-09-27 06:40 pm
stevenpiziks) wrote2010-09-27 06:40 pm
Entry tags:
He's at It Again
Obama's trotting out the old horse:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100927/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama
Longer school year, other countries are killing the US in test scores, blah blah blah. I'll answer again, in case he's reading:
U.S. schools through high school offer an average of 180 instruction days per year, according to the Education Commission of the States, compared to an average of 197 days for lower grades and 196 days for upper grades in countries with the best student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand.
American students are falling behind their foreign counterparts, especially in math and science, and that's got to change, Obama said.
No, they aren't. US test scores in math and science are lower than those of students from India, China, Japan, Germany, and other countries because other countries don't test all students. These other countries shunt non-academic students into apprenticeships or simply kick them out of school. India's kicking US butt in science because India doesn't test all those kids scraping by in the slums of Calcutta. They might lower test scores, you see. The other countries also don't test special needs students. US law requires that ALL students be tested, even the ones who have trouble sitting up straight or holding a pencil. So naturally US students score lower.
This is why I supported Hilary Clinton in her bid for president. She had a more realistic view of education.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100927/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama
Longer school year, other countries are killing the US in test scores, blah blah blah. I'll answer again, in case he's reading:
U.S. schools through high school offer an average of 180 instruction days per year, according to the Education Commission of the States, compared to an average of 197 days for lower grades and 196 days for upper grades in countries with the best student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand.
"That month makes a difference," the president said. "It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren't getting as many educational opportunities."
Schools in Japan, South Korea, and so on do have more instructional days, but their school days are shorter. Germany, for example, gets out of school at 1:00 on some days, and even at 11:00 on others. More school days does not equal more time in the classroom.American students are falling behind their foreign counterparts, especially in math and science, and that's got to change, Obama said.
No, they aren't. US test scores in math and science are lower than those of students from India, China, Japan, Germany, and other countries because other countries don't test all students. These other countries shunt non-academic students into apprenticeships or simply kick them out of school. India's kicking US butt in science because India doesn't test all those kids scraping by in the slums of Calcutta. They might lower test scores, you see. The other countries also don't test special needs students. US law requires that ALL students be tested, even the ones who have trouble sitting up straight or holding a pencil. So naturally US students score lower.
This is why I supported Hilary Clinton in her bid for president. She had a more realistic view of education.