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Are we getting dumber? How can this be, with all the technology that we have. We like to think that we are more civilized and advanced than former generations, with our computers and tablets and phones and whatnot. But are we really?
This is very disturbing trend that of course goes back over 50 years. As the article discusses, there is a big divide between the trends for lower performing students and higher performing students, with lower performing students trending downwards, further and faster.
Most notable were the score drops in reading, which occurred in 17 states with regard to fourth grade reading scores and in 31 states for eighth grade reading scores. On average, reading scores declined for fourth graders by 1 point and for eighth graders by 3 points compared to 2017. "A 3-point decline for the country is substantial in as much as 31 states are driving it, large states, small states – and it's a very meaningful decline," Carr said.
Most concerning, she said, was that compared to 2017, the scores of lower performing students declined in three of the four grade-subject combinations and those drops are what accounted for the overall drop in average scores. "The distributions are pulling apart, with the bottom dropping faster," Carr said. "It's not clear what's happening here, but it is clear and it's consistent."
Carr said the score drops cannot be traced to any one specific student subgroup, as almost all of them logged declines. For example, black, Hispanic, Native American and white students in fourth and eighth grades scored lower in reading in 2019 compared to 2017.
{More at the link}
What on Earth? At a time when having critical skills has never been more important, people are becoming less capable of obtaining those skills. This is a national disaster.
Maybe if we just flood our borders with unskilled non-English speakers in tsunami type fashion, perhaps that will help. {Sarcasm}
We have been throwing money at our education system in spectacular fashion for decades - and it clearly is not working. With "experts" like the ones we have had during this time running our education systems, who needs imbeciles?
Maybe we are testing for skills that are not being reinforced in everyday life or needed for success anymore. Schools can teach the concepts but unless they are applied outside of the classroom they are quickly forgotten. Seriously, who reads anymore in a video world (I mean young people)? And what use is long division when everyone is walking around with a scientific calculator in their hands?
A majority of a child's educational outcome is contingent upon factors outside of the school system itself. Less and/or worse parental involvement, the destruction of the two-parent household, greater degrees of stress in the home environment, overexposure to digital platforms, lack of traditional socialization, less exercise, etc., all wreak havoc on developing minds. The psychological data on this is indisputable.
The American classroom is based on the same British Empire learning method of 300 years ago. It worked back then because parents were very strict and demanding. Today we need something more modern where kids can self-learn and learn to think critically on their own.
The culture in the US has changed, but the classroom has not.
In reading, scores among 4th graders dropped for both white and black students, as well as for males and students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. There was a slight increase, however, for English learners, from 189 to 191. At 8th grade, reading scores decreased for all racial and ethnic groups, except Asian/Pacific Islander students. Scores also dropped for both males and females and for those eligible and not eligible for subsidized meals.
Last edited by Oldhag1; 10-31-2019 at 04:01 AM..
Reason: Edited quote
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