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I still have a hard time believing this-so who gets the blame for this? The parents, the teachers, the students, or is it the dumbing down of america? All or most??
CNN recently reported a rather sensationalistic figure: 88 percent of 8th graders in the District of Columbia cannot read. Although this statistic is a bit off the mark, it’s difficult to say whether the truth of the matter is more comforting or depressing.
Literacy, as a concept, has no real objective measure. The CIA World Factbook says the United States is 99 percent literate, although its methodology makes no distinction between a linguistics professor and someone who can only recognize a few hundred words. The statement on CNN was evidently based on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress report (known colloquially as “The Nation’s Report Card”) where the data reflected D.C. 8th graders who read below a “proficient” rating. But what does all this mean?
UWire Opinion | Literacy rate needs to be addressed (http://www.uwire.com/Article.aspx?id=3119104 - broken link)
CNN recently reported a rather sensationalistic figure: 88 percent of 8th graders in the District of Columbia cannot read. Although this statistic is a bit off the mark, it’s difficult to say whether the truth of the matter is more comforting or depressing.
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UWire Opinion | Literacy rate needs to be addressed (http://www.uwire.com/Article.aspx?id=3119104 - broken link)
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Oh my the charts are worse than I could Imagine
NAEP -- State Profile: AL (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/profile.asp - broken link)
That's why it's home to our center of government. These kids are ready to move into congressional positions immediately.
I believe DC's motto should be:
"Come for the Stupidity, Stay for the Career".
Wha? DC's schools are managed by "blacks" and the school board is voted in by "blacks" and is paid for in taxes by "blacks", so why there would be a need to bring racism into this is beyond me.
The results are poor for many reasons... economics has a large part in the emphasis that parents place on education and the resources they have to dedicate to their child's education. But even that alone doesn't explain everything.
They can't read "proficiently"...? If you believe that 88% can't read proficiently, I have some magic beans to sell to you... perhaps you should all take a note, to not believe everything you read or statistics that are derived from it... maybe I will make a blog and claim the world is actually a starship... perhaps they should report that 88% of Americans believe whatever they read or hear...
They can't read "proficiently"...? If you believe that 88% can't read proficiently, I have some magic beans to sell to you... perhaps you should all take a note, to not believe everything you read or statistics that are derived from it... maybe I will make a blog and claim the world is actually a starship... perhaps they should report that 88% of Americans believe whatever they read or hear...
Have you ever been to DC?! Seeing is believing. I agree that statistics can be skewed any direction the writer wants to report. However, if you spend any time in the District you'd start to see that there is also a possibility that the number is not that far off the mark.
Va-Cat... I can assure you that 9 out of 10 students can read... based on their assumption only 1 student can read proficiently and nobody can read above that... If I find two student that can read proficiently... then their statistics is bunk and yes, I have been to DC many, many, many times... DC may have a problematic school system but I wouldn't say 90% of them are retarded either...
Va-Cat... I can assure you that 9 out of 10 students can read... based on their assumption only 1 student can read proficiently and nobody can read above that... If I find two student that can read proficiently... then their statistics is bunk and yes, I have been to DC many, many, many times... DC may have a problematic school system but I wouldn't say 90% of them are retarded either...
My sister taught in a low income area about 2.5 hours south of DC and while it wasn't 8th grade (4th grade to be exact), she was surprised to see how most of the students didn't have any reading skills. They were struggling with the "See spot run" type of books.
She increased test scores significantly for her class because she was a renegade and didn't follow the lesson plan alone, she supplemented the teaching with more of a reenforcement of the basics. But instead of looking at her work to see how the other teachers could change, they simply saw her as a phenomena... something that wasn't likely repeated by others.
Unfortunately with the structure of pay with the teacher unions, there's no real incentive to go above and beyond other than for personal gratification. Granted some teachers do care, but many get bitter after a few years and leave the profession altogether. I don't blame them... if I got paid the same amount as my coworkers who don't produce, I wouldn't stick around very long either, no matter how rewarding the job.
I'm not surprised. I'd imagine kids in our cesspool of a capitol have alot more pressing things to deal with than reading & writing.
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