California Students Test Scores Rise for 9th Straight Year (San Diego: high school, live)

[18Montclair]

Could be better, but I really like the upward trend-very good.

[LEFT]The STAR test results show that 54 percent of students scored proficient or above in English-language arts and 50 percent reached that level in mathematics.

Officials say those were the highest percentages in both subjects since the STAR program began in 2003, when only 35 percent of students scored proficient or above in each category.

Read more: California test scores rise for 9th straight year - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/15/3839870/california-test-scores-rise-for.html#ixzz1V9ika22k - broken link)

[/LEFT]

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Given demographic trends I am not surprised. While there has been an influx of Latino migrant labor there has also been an influx of hyper competitive, Tiger Mom raised immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe. That has got to have raised scores. Sometimes it's out of hand, Google "Monta Vista High School" and "stress."

[yeahthatguy]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Given demographic trends I am not surprised. While there has been an influx of Latino migrant labor there has also been an influx of hyper competitive, Tiger Mom raised immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe. That has got to have raised scores. Sometimes it's out of hand, Google "Monta Vista High School" and "stress."

In my backyard :
4th teen from same Palo Alto high school commits suicide - latimes.com

Sink or swim I guess ....

[18Montclair]

^Now that you mention it, I have a lot of friends in SV whose kids imo seem extremely overwhelmed by their parents' wanting them to be perfect.

I suppose when your parents are uber successful, have engineering degrees and finance degrees from MIT and Stanford and the like, there is incredible pressure.

Sometimes I wish they'd let their kids be kids, but on the other hand, I detest the glorification of slacking off that seems to be pervasive in our youth and pop culture today. SMH.

[Gentoo]

San Diego apparently came in first in English scores as far as large metros go and third in math.

According to the SDUSD, this is the fifth straight year of improvement, and the English scores are the best of any large, urban district in the state. Math results ranked third among similar districts.

Standardized Test Scores Show Student Gains - San Diego News Story - KGTV San Diego

[roadtrip75]

There is NO EVIDENCE that average test scores went up. All it says is that a higher percentage of students passed the test. For all we know, the dumb kids could be doing immensely worse than they were before.

Are you not aware that the educracy is highly incentivized to produce positive results? You should always regard their statistics with a suspicious eye.

[EdJS]

Originally Posted by roadtrip75

There is NO EVIDENCE that average test scores went up. All it says is that a higher percentage of students passed the test. For all we know, the dumb kids could be doing immensely worse than they were before.

Are you not aware that the educracy is highly incentivized to produce positive results? You should always regard their statistics with a suspicious eye.

Isn't everything in the human world highly incentivized to produce positive results? From the most basic thing up: I am highly incentivized to stay alive at this moment rather than drop dead.

It would be crazy for a system to be designed to incentivize negative results, or even neutral results.

[Bob's Burgers]

Don't get too excited. The state has lower the bar when it scores the test. they have made the test simpler also. The test takers do not have to write an essay either. Many students have their tests scored more favorably because they might be special ed or English language learners. Also the curriculum in English and math has been geared toward these state tests.

[roadtrip75]

Originally Posted by EdJS

Isn't everything in the human world highly incentivized to produce positive results? From the most basic thing up: I am highly incentivized to stay alive at this moment rather than drop dead.

It would be crazy for a system to be designed to incentivize negative results, or even neutral results.

Interesting. That's so genius I can't even wrap my head around it.

Meanwhile, back in the real world . . .

Originally Posted by slowbill

The state has lower the bar when it scores the test. they have made the test simpler also. The test takers do not have to write an essay either. Many students have their tests scored more favorably because they might be special ed or English language learners. Also the curriculum in English and math has been geared toward these state tests.

Like I said, keep a wary eye on the educracy. They're under enormous pressure to defy reality.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

^Now that you mention it, I have a lot of friends in SV whose kids imo seem extremely overwhelmed by their parents' wanting them to be perfect.

I suppose when your parents are uber successful, have engineering degrees and finance degrees from MIT and Stanford and the like, there is incredible pressure.

Sometimes I wish they'd let their kids be kids, but on the other hand, I detest the glorification of slacking off that seems to be pervasive in our youth and pop culture today. SMH.

I agree with you on both counts. The key is to not to go extremes on either end. I think the slackers generally far outnumber the overahievers, though.