This is scary - college graduates lacking literacy tools
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): This is scary - college graduates lacking literacy tools
This may be a hot potato, so I'm putting it here. It's from the Tri-Valley Herald (California, I think):
"A new study that measured the skills of students nearing graduation from a four-year university found that more than half lacked the literacy skills to handle complex tasks, such as analyzing arguments in newspaper editorials or understanding credit card offers.
Students at two-year colleges fared even worse, with at least 75 percent lacking the skills to perform complex tasks, according to a study released Thursday by the American Institutes for Research.
"It is kind of disturbing that a lot of folks are graduating with a degree and they're not going to be able to do those things," said Stephane Baldi, the study's director at the American Institutes for Research, a behavioral and social science research organization.
The study was the first to target students nearing the start of the careers. Researchers used the same test as the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, the government's examination of English literacy among adults. Results of that study were released in December, showing about one in 20 adults is not literate in English.
The test was given in 2003 to a representative sample of 1,827 students at public and private colleges.
And while the results show that college students' literacy levels are higher than that of adults across the nation, the study nonetheless serves as "an alarm bell for colleges and policy makers," said Justin Baer, the report's co-author and AIR senior research analyst.
The study found that 20 percent of students completing four-year degrees and 30 percent earning two-year degrees had only "basic" quantitative literacy skills — meaning they could calculate the cost differences between items in a grocery store, but could not perform more complex calculations, such as whether they have enough gasoline to make it to the next station or compare credit card offers that arrive in the mail. "The types of things the students had to do (on the test) are the types of things we do in everyday life," Baer said.
No matter what their field of study, all students failed to master key skills, the study found. The results highlight three types of literacy: analyzing news stories and other prose, understanding documents and having math skills needed for checkbooks or restaurant tips."
I've always known, or at least since I entered the work world at age 18, that education doesn't necessarily equal intelligence, but it is really scary to find that 20% of the college graduates in this study don't have the math skills to balance their checkbooks or compare credit card offers. What is even scarier is that I am sure some of them will go on to become teachers.
Oh yes. Be afraid, be very afraid. At work I have a group for kids with reading disabilities from mild problems to severe dyslexia. It is AMAZING to me the number of kids who are getting As and Bs in spelling, reading, and English who have a pretty significant disability that has been totally overlooked. When I show the parents the kinds of problems their kids are having and their test scores, they frequently say something to the effect of "Well I thought Susie was having trouble, but the teacher said she was doing fine and she makes all As and Bs." It really is scary. And the lack of vocabulary and just general world knowledge among kids is staggering as well. This goes for both public and private schools.
I agree Ginny and Pam. I think it stems from students being asked to simply regurgitate information and not to apply much in the way of critical thinking about ANYTHING really. Questions about the reading are often answered just by skimming the text, not by evaluating a situation and then explaining it. In the lower grades it's workbooks, workbooks which are just ridiculous in my view as a former elem. teacher.
The other thing (regarding the balancing checkbooks, etc.)...as an Honor Society H.S. student on the College Prep curriculum,(over 13years ago now) I wasn't even offered General Math which involves "life" math like balancing a checkbook, writing a budget, credit cards,or applying for a loan. The General Curriculum was for the "remedial" kids, but they got the best math IMO! EVERYONE in high school should have to take the math classes that apply to real life, regardless of what curriculum you're on or the grades you make.
This is a sad, sad article you shared Ginny...another blackmark on American education IMO. Our kids are partying harder and earlier, everything is 'free' to them because without hard work or grades they get cell phones, credit cards, booze, and cars; parents are more lenient and less available to their kids than ever, and our teachers have no command over their classrooms/curriculum because they're no longer allowed. I just can't imagine how much lower American education can go, with faults on ALL sides.
It's really sad. Right now I am working on my degree by taking several distance learning classes. For the participation grade, we must participate in discussions on a message board. Some of the students' grammar and spelling errors drive me crazy. Now, I understand that on message boards like this one people will make mistakes and leave them and not think twice about it, but on a message board for a college class FOR A GRADE???
Two of my profs even went to the extreme during orientation to tell us that we needed to use correct grammar and spelling when discussing topics on the boards just as we would in a college ENG class. Should they even have to make that point?
My kids are horrified by the amount of spelling errors on the message boards that they frequent. Emily is always showing me all the spelling mistakes! They are both great spellers!
What kills me, is when someone makes a graphic, and then spells a word wrong!
My pet peeve - apostrophes!
Come see all the dog's! Argh! I hate it when people use apostrophes, when they they just meant the plural of something!
That's one of my pet peeves too, Dawn.
I remember, back in the 80s, for my nephews to graduate high school in Indiana they only had to have 2 years each of math, science, English and social studies.
I don't know what the requirements are in Pennsylvania, but I remember counsling a neighbor's son 12th grade son who had only one year of math, no foreign languages, but several shop classes, and the school was going to graduate him. He thought he was going to into the Army to get the money to go to college and didn't realize that he'd never get into college. The boy was African-American, in a poor, mostly minority area, and although he was very bright, he never got the classes. He told me that in his 2nd year of highschool there was no room in the Algebra class so they assigned him to shop; same with biology, and that continued in his 3rd and 4th years. I was able to "persuade" the school district that they should give him a 5th year of high school (which they don't very often because it is expensive), in which he got algebra, biology, and Spanish. He went on to community college for 2 years and ended up owning his own catering business.
I do know that most colleges today do a remedial writing class for their incoming freshman. I wonder if they do remedial math classes too.
I also remember having to go to the dictionary to prove to my sons, more than once, that their teacher had misspelled a word on the mimeographed spelling list she handed out. And that was in the 70s.
I found a page with highschool graduation requirements page by page, but it's mostly PDF and too slow to load on my modem. Pennsylvania's seem to be all about passing the various tests that are taken every year and pre-graduation. Yuck!!
I think a few of my kids have had a couple teachers who fall into that 20%.
If I remember correctly (without looking it up), to graduate from high school (in PA), my kids need 4 years of English, 3 years each of Math, Science and History. I forget how many credits they need to have, but those are the core courses. (I also think at least two years of a forgein language should also be required, but it is not.) Without getting into a debate about education, I have known for years that the schools and teachers have been "teaching to the test". More than once I've thought about homeschooling them...
I, too, was in the college prep courses and was not taught the math skills that we use everyday. My parents taught it to me and I have been teaching it to my kids. I find that for as much as they learn in school, there are still too many holes in their education. That's where parents need to step in. How sad if the parents can't do that because they never learned it either. 
The problem starts with K-12 education and NCLB. It's bad for the most part. Then we want ALL kids to go to college and so we have kids in college who really shouldn't be. If they find the right college for them (easy) then they can graduate. I read last night that college is designed for kids with IQ of 110 or higher, which is about 25% of the population.
I don't think it's the end of the world if these folks lack some literacy skills. We all probably have gaps in our education. I have a Bachelor's degree and some grad work and have never had a World History class, Physics, Chemistry, Algebra 2 among others. None of them were required. Many of the classes I did take had horrible teachers and taught us nothing. One of the best classes I took was a basic accounting class in high school that we all took because it was easy. Another meaningful class I can't remember the name of but it was also practical info. We took that one, too, for an easy A. One of the best activities in that class - which we did every day - was the teacher called out a long list of numbers and we had to write them down. Then we made a guess on how many we wrote down correctly (all of them, of course!) and then we checked it and we all had errors. We developed our attention to detail this way and has served me well in every job I ever had.
Here's my solution...Take reading out of schools. 
Okay, a bit extreme but MORE focus on English in schools won't help I think.
I've been trying to write what I mean by that but I think the best I can do is that reading in school is taught by disection. By taking language apart and making it about spelling and nouns and book reports. By making it complicated, boring and hard.
And barring special situations, it's really not. Many kids learn reading before they hit school. Many kids pick it up to follow interests like gaming and magazines.
Of coure we're not just talking reading but English skills. But I'm thinking that if kids were free to learn reading on their own, if it were something they were free to grow passionate about, not have to be accountable for by way of marks and empty sticker charts, maybe the grammar bits would be much easier. It's like teaching someone to read a map who's never walked the land shown as opposed to someone who's intmately familiar with it. The first may need lots of lessons on symbols and scale. The second, after a few prompts, has the practical experience to gather a solid understanding quickly.
Amongst the unschoolers I know that's certainly been my experience. The kids ofen read later then their peers but when they do it comes very quickly and they often match and surpass their schooled peers quickly. And they have a very good sense of grammar, structure, comprehension, etc. that comes from experience reading and being read to, not lessons and worksheets.
I'm rambling. I don't mean for this to be a, "Homeschooing rocks! Schooling suck!" post. I just think there are some really neat things going on in home education that formal schooling could learn from. Certainly the more is more approach has always been the reaction when it comes to troubling results of the education system. Less is more might be worth a look.
Yes it is sad in calif and the USA that kids graduate with so few skills. In the town I live in ( in calif) only twenty percent passed the high school exit exams on the first try. They start taking them in the tenth grade and have 6 chances to pass. Well this year if you dont pass you get a lil peice of paper that says you attended school for four years. THats all it says. This school year we have 30% of the sr class that so far hasnt passed the test. They have one more chance to pass it. Ill be watching the the percentile to see how far it goes down. The kids in my opinion if they havent learned it in four years ... how will they pass it in just 3 months.........
Foreign language isn't required, but Sarah is on her second year of Spanish and Emily signed up for it next year.
One of the state universities requires 2 years of a foreign language, though.
I took 4 years of German and 1 year of Latin!
Graduation Requirements for Sheboygan:
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
A. To be eligible for a diploma, students shall earn credits in the following required courses:
1. Language Arts (8 semesters or 4 credits)
a. One credit, Ninth Grade English
b. One credit, Tenth Grade English
c. Two additional credits in English language arts, including one-half credit in English writing and grammar.
2. Mathematics (4 semesters or 2 credits)
a. Two credits in grades 9 through 12.
3. Social Studies (7 semesters or 3-1/2 credits)
a. One credit, Ninth Grade: African-Asian World
b. One credit, Tenth Grade: Western Civilization
c. One credit, Eleventh Grade: United States History
d. One-half additional social studies credit in grades 10, 11 or 12.
4. Science (4 semesters or 2 credits)
a. One credit, Biology
b. One additional science credit in grades 9 through 12.
5. Physical Education (3 semesters or 1-1/2 credits) 1-1/2 credits in grades 9, 10, and 11.
6. Health - One credit in grades 9 through 12.
B. Electives 9 credits
Students shall also earn in grades 9 through 12 additional credits in courses elected to suit individual needs, interests, and capabilities and to develop job entry or post-secondary education entry skills. Course selections shall be approved by parents and by counselors/advisors.
C. Total Credits
A minimum of twenty-three required and elective credits must be earned in grades 9 through 12 for graduation.
The definition for a full-time student is "a student who takes six (6) classes for credit not including a study hall."
Special Education students may meet this requirement through similar special education courses.
All students will be required to take a minimum of six (6) classes both semesters, all four (4) years. The principal may waive requirements for a diploma in exceptional cases to suit the traits or needs of an individual student.
GRADUATION CRITERIA
All students graduating with the class of 2006 and beyond must also meet one of the following:
• C- cumulative GPA (1.667 on a 4.0 scale) after 7 semesters
• Successful completion of stated goals outlined in the Individual Education Plan (IEP), or Section 504 Plan
• Proficient level or higher on ELL MECCA rubric
• Demonstration of Graduation Proficiency Level
Note: Students not meeting their graduation criterion after 7 semesters will have the opportunity to meet one of the criteria listed above during their 8th semester, summer school, or thereafter.
-------------------------------------
COLLEGE RECOMMENDED COURSES
To be academically prepared for four-year college programming, the following courses are recommended:
4 years of English
3 years of math (including Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II) or equivalent
3 years of science
2-3 years of the same world languages (recommended/required by some colleges)
3 years of social studies
1 year of fine arts (recommended/required by some colleges)
It is important to note that competitive schools and/or programs consider the above as minimum requirements. If you
do not have all of the above courses, you may be required to take remedial and/or additional courses once you are in
college. Competitive colleges and programs also recommend that you take honors and AP courses when possible.
Check college admission and program requirements through a web search or the guidance counselors.
Source: An Instruction Booklet for College Bound Students (2002), Woodburn Press; Dayton, OH; Page 5
Unschoolmom- just an interesting side note...my friend teaches Spanish- also head of the dept- and she just implemented a teaching method where you do not "teach" All learning of Spanish is done through singing, storytelling etc...no conjugations etc...the results have been amazing!!!! Previously "bad" students are passing with flying colors- really grasping the language and getting all the gramatical and subjective things correct- what a cool approach!
Heather, my 10 year old is in an Extended French class this year. That means she's taking half of her classes in French. All Canadian kids take a certain amount of French, but it's just one subject. It's taught much like English - reading, writing and grammar. She's doing it the way you describe. She knows more conversational French than most people ever learn taking it the regular way. They do plays, play games, go on trips to Quebec where they can't speak English, etc. She hasn't done that yet, but I think it will be so exciting for her!
Right now she's learning about the Canadian government in French, and that's a tough subject in English. It's amazing how much little minds can take in when they're taught the right way.
We're getting more relaxed with our standards every year, while our foriegn counterparts are studying harder to compete with each other. This whole "No Child Left Behind" thing is leaving us completely unprepared for the real world.I'm not saying it's ALL Bush's fault, because we certainly could have used some improvements before he came into office, but we're clinging to this "plan" while we drown. I'm not remotely surprised at this study, pretty soon we'll have illiterates graduating with honors.
How Cool Marcia! Sounds like she is in for a lot of fun! I wish more subjects/teachers would take a similiar approach!
Crystal I completely agree with you! NCLB is sending us further down the WRONG road. DH and I were talking about this lastnight. Where will all of this end? Education is getting worse and worse all the time, and now the government is more involved with NCLB.
I have not read all the posts and really have no facts to share or dispute here. I just wanted to mention:
Can you believe they give students an OPTION to follow the college bound program when they enter HS?!! I nearly fell over when my ds brought home his paperwork for 9th gr. We had to choose whether he would follow the college bound or the non college bound coursework? I was NOT happy about that. It should be assumed that EVERY child will move on too college or *some* type of higher education. You absolutely can't make a good living any other way imo. I guess people could disagree on what a good living is too. I mean able to pay bills without working 2 jobs! lol I know there are alot of other reasons to go to college as well (higher education, sense of accomplishment, etc...)
I told my kids last week, they dont have an *option* in this household. If the college bound coursework becomes to difficult I will pay any amt for them to have private tutors. Even if that means I have to get a job just to pay for their tutors.
Dh and I have our youngest in a private school right now. If we still live here next yr, he will continue in that private school. I feel they are much more concerned about his progress than the public school experience we have had with the other 2 boys. His teacher can sometimes make me feel like he is behind actually. But I am chalking it up too her being very concerned and very aware of what is learning and not learning. Atleast she is aware and working very hard with him. We have talked about putting the older boys in private school as well. It was disputed by ex husband. grr I am going to be bringing it up again this spring. I may do it whether he likes it or not this time. The boys have actually said they would prefer it. Now that's kind of sad. imo. He also threw a fit about homeschooling my oldest. So that never happened.
Ok, I am done venting now. lol
I am 99% sure I will homeschool my children, not because I want to, but we cannot afford private school and I have no faith in the public school system any more. Thanks, NCLB! What a wonderful plan that is! *sigh*
While I am all for higher education...I do not beleive college is the path for EVERYONE! There are plenty of people out there who will go on to make a fine living by being auto mechanics, truck drivers, etc who will not attend college.
I *hope* my dd will attend college but I definetely think there should be options for trade programs etc in high school!
I completely agree Heather - IMO college is the best way and most likely way of succeeding career-wise and financially, but for certain there are people without degrees making a good living. (I live in an automotive town where union workers are HIGHLY overpaid and uneducated, but that's a different and very hot button for me.) College is HARD...it's not for everyone regardless of their motivation or financial status. My DH was on a Technical/Science curriculum in high school (also a college prep program) that there's no way I could have succeeded in because I'm just no good with the sciences. My best friend from high school was on the General program (low math, english, etc.). She can still go to college (she didn't) but she would just have to take some classes first that won't give credit to get caught up to the college curriculum. That would just be a choice for her if she decided to go. It doesn't mean she CAN'T go to college, just that she would have to do some extra work to go.
I have to say that although we are most definitely planning to look at private schools in our area, not all public schools are in the pits. There is actually one corporation in my area that I will pick over the private schools here. We don't live there, so I will still have to pay tuition, but it is an outstanding school. I think it's irresponsible to say "no way" to any form of education until specific choices in your area have been explored. I know that I will not homeschool my child, but this is a topic I have investigated for many years as a former teacher. Of many reasons, mine are:A)I'm not willing to stay home once my child becomes school age; B)I don't agree with it; and C)Social/emotional reasons for my child.
I'm not debating homeschooling, private, or public at all, so I hope it doesn't come out that way. I'm just giving an example of being open to every option. There are wonderful public schools, crappy private schools, and both good and bad homeschoolers. It's very particular to your geographic area and what's available. I don't think it's a given that private school means a good education, just as it's not a given that public school means a bad one.
If we really want to start placing blame IMO, it's parents, parents, parents. Doesn't it seem sometimes that parents (collectively) are busy with their kids extra-curricular activities, making sure tennis shoes are THE cool $150 pair, their cell phones have the right face plate, and all the Xboxes/games are in every room in the house? Education does begin at home IMO.
Conni, we had that option here too, and I was like you, college bound track was the only way in my house. They have a course track geared towards vo-tech as an alternative.
I've found it ridiculous how many different high school diplomas kids are eligible for here. When I graduated from high school, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, you got a diploma. Period. Now there are like 8 or 10 different ones.
My children go to a great public school. You can't lump all public schools together. DD is a bright, straight-A sophomore who is adequately challenged at school. DS is dyslexic, and is wonderfully serviced. He could not get that at a private school. There is no "perfect" education, but IMO if you do your homework, and are willing to move, there ARE many good public schools to be found. I also don't believe you HAVE to go to college to be successful. My DH never finished college, but he is a very successful business owner and we do quite well. (He makes well into six figures.)
Bottom line, there are successful private schools, there are successful homeschoolers, and there ARE SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I think my kids have had a postive public school education. Emily didn't care for her 5th grade teacher, but that is over and done with now. She is almost done with 8th grade.
I was strongly encouraged to go to college when I'm growing up and my kids expect that they will, too.
I'll second the thought that there are great public schools. There's a tendency to assume that all public schools are the same and a bad experience with one leads people to tar them all. My little local elementary school is supposed to be really nice. The one up the road is a new building with some neat programs and french immersion.
That said, I homeschool because I wanted a different kind of education and learning environment for my kids. I hope that people who look at homeschooling as an option do so as much to discover how interesting and different it can be as opposed to simply a reaction against local schools they perceive as bad. If you want any websites to look at crystal, just let me know.
As for college bound tracks, I think it's perfectly acceptable if some kids choose a different one. There should however, be help in terms of job finding skills and such for those kids. I think it might even be a help if we pressured kids less about going on to university. I know so many people who went just because it was done who don't use what they learned and are saddled with debt. College has become a default positin and a commodity and kids go just because they should, not because they have a thirst for higher education or firm ideas about what it will mean for their future.
First of all, Ginny I finally read the article all the way through with no interruptions (woohoo!) and that is pretty scary!
I made a comment in my post about not being able to make a living with no college degree. Obviously that hit a nerve with a few. Sorry. Clearly there are people making a great living w/out a degree. However, I am not going to have my kids *assume* they can live a great life with no degree. We have told them that if they will get a degree they dont have to use it if they dont want to. If they want to be a truck driver, more power to them. 10 yrs into their career when they are living on Rolaids, their wife is tired of them being on the road, they have a pot belly, and they are physically tired. Well, then they can fall back on that degree hopefully! lol
I *think* unless I am just imagining it, the majority of people with no degree do not make well into 6 digit's. The people with degree's dont either alot of the time. My ex husband *is* a mechanic and he has told his boys they WILL go to college. My bil is a welder he has been telling his kids the same thing since they were little. 'Go to college'.
As for a college bound program. *I* am one of the students that had to take the remedial classes in college for no credit, at my expense on my time. I do not want my kids to have to do that. There is no question about them going to college. We have talked about college with our kids since they were very little, like its a normal thing you do after HS.
As for private school... For *us* we found one we like. I dont think many of you were on the board yrs ago when I was having alot more trouble with a public school in our area. It was very disappointing. Again, this is a public school I dealt with in *my* area. The private school's we like here have very good reputations and are also christian schools. So, we wouldnt be assuming that private school is simply better than public school. However, it seems like I read some statistics that they generally are?
As for all parents being at blame for providing for their kids or allowing their kids to be in extra activities? Well, I can only speak for myself. I bought my children's last shoes at a Kohl's clearance sale. ;) They are nice shoes that would have been expensive if I was dumb enough to pay full price. Some of the wealthiest Mom's I know, shop the sales regularly! As for extra curricular activities, my kids are allowed one per semester *if* they have good grades. We have video games, but my kids rarely play them anymore. I do have a teen that has a cell phone. He pays for his own minutes tho, so we never see a bill for him. ;) This has taught him to watch his minutes closely and think before he uses his phone. Usually, he just uses it to call me when he is ready to come home. If he wanted a new face plate, he can check the balance on his savings acct and then check the prices of face plates, then he would have to decide if that's a wise investment or not. We have a preteen that made an F on a test today and he has had some 70's and 80's. He lost his computer until his next report card. He is writing down his plan for how he is going to get his grade up right now. I want it back up to an A. I am willing to help and he knows. Obviously he is struggling with it, because he did have an A before they started this new chapter. But he hid it from me because he didnt want to study more. lol Well, that didnt work well for him, now did it?
My kids dont make bad grades in public school. (3.75 gpa) But I have to tell you I have been very surprised at what is acceptable work around here!!! They have been focused on *practicing for the benchmark* and that wont end for 2 more months. That gets real old.
Ok, just wanted to clarify some of my thoughts! Again, I dont care if your kids dont plan on college. Or they become a mechanic, welder, farmer, etc... And I dont care who sends their kid to public, private, or homeschool... I was just posting what we want for our kids.
I wrote a reply yesterday, but it must have gone to that void in the internet. LOL
Anyway, basically I was saying not all schools are created equal, not even all state curriculums are the same. I went to a great public school in NJ, but moved to FL my junior year. They had none of the advanced classes I was taking, and their "honors" were studying things I had studied in 9th grade. Now, we've begun teaching to the test, and the kids are the ones who pay. So, even if your child is in a good school, do you think it's acceptable that millions of other American kids are getting a sub-par education? Do you think that even the best public schools can compete with the education that Europeans are receiving in public schools? There was a very interesting show on Dateline or 20/20 about American schools. The European public system doesn't lock a child in by location, you can pick your child's school. This forces the schools to compete to be the best, because if they suck they will not have students. On the other hand, you go to the school in your district here, whether it sucks or not. We could learn a lot from our brethren across the pond!!
Hey Crystal, just got an email from the band director. Says they are making some changes *again* in my state with HEalth and PE that will require 6th grade beginner band to be cut. They are obsessed with people being fat. Why dont they obsess over people being SMART? LOL
Because we're big, fat, dumb Americans. LOL. At least, that's how everyone else sees us. BTW, the schools I talked about in my last post, the one in NJ required 4 semesters of PE and 4 semesters of Health. The one in FL required 2 each. Of course, my school in NJ had no pregnant students, and my FL school had quite a few. Maybe there should have been more required Health classes?
They were going to cut 6th grade band. That sucks! Our school district here, seems to value the music program. You can start strings in 4th grade and band in 5th. Then it continues on through high school, along with strings and chorus.
The teachers don't like NCLB. I have heard a few complaints, from the teachers.
Crystal....regarding not your last post but the one before....AMEN!!! I totally agree with you. It's all about the TEST.
I know as former teacher that when the students don't pass a certain perecentage on the "test", the school goes on probation, they get a bad rap, and teachers are in trouble more and more and told to "teach to the test". It's a very difficult positon to be put in as an educator. There are even schools (and I know that the Chicago area was one that was at least talking about doing this) who pya teachers extra (merit pay) based on how well kids do on the "test". Let me tell you from 7 years of teaching experience, there's bad years and good years and there's only so much you can do with you're given. I know there are times when (if that were in practice here) I would have gotten merit pay and others when I would have been in trouble because academically it just wasn't a good group of kiddos.
The whole thing is just such a fiasco and as I said before, I just don't know how/where it will end.
We have a prepaid plan for both children so the money will be available. Jessica is bound and determined she wants to go to culinary school. If she still feels that way when she graduates, she will be allowed to go.
I homeschool my children because our schools are teaching to the test. In my opinion that means they really are not "teaching" at all. I have quite a few friends who are teachers here. They do not allow their children to go to public school. I have friends in other states where the public school is great. I believe it is different everywhere.
While I want my children to attend college, I do not believe college determines wages. My husband does make a 6 figure income and he did not attend college. We have a relative that is a millionaire and he never went to college. Yes, college can increase your income in some fields. Please do not think I am against college--I definitely am not. I just do not think that college is the answer for everyone. Whatever field my children choose, I will support their decision. I just want them to be passionate about whatever they choose.
During the next quarter in Emily's algebra class, they are going to be dealing with real-life math issues, like bank accounts, buying a house vs. renting an apartment, budgets, investing in stocks, etc.
Sarah must have done the same thing 3 years ago. I just didn't remember.
Dawn, do you realize most American children don't ever learn that in school? I recently taught my 18 year old brother-in-law how to balance a checkbook and budget, and have been explaining loans and credit cards to him. I learned that some of that stuff in middle school, but I had to learn most of it myself.
Wow, that's amazing! They should be teaching it.
From her newsletter, that she got today:
Late this quarter, we will spend a week walking through "My Mathematical Life." Each student will be responsible for making life decisions from college or professional school until retirement. Your child will be faced with decisions about renting an apartment or buying a home, purchasing cars, insurance and balancing a budget. They will go to the bank and make deposits and withdrawals, earn interest, obtain a loan, get credit, or invest in stocks. Each student will need to learn to budget his or her time and will be measured on his or her health, happiness and monetary levels.
They have also been working hard on projects for National History Day. The theme is taking a stand for history. Emily did Rosa Parks. She had to do a research paper and then make a display, with pictures and captions. On Feb 16th, they will be judged. It has been a multi-month project.
Okay a couple of random thoughts. Teaching to the test: I just don't think this is all bad. It depends what the test is about. Our Texas test has some very basic stuff on it. Doing basic math, doing those facts quickly (really you just have to know them), and knowing and working formulas. I think those are the things that should be taught. I might not of had a math class in high school that taught me how to balance a checkbook, but those general math skills were taught to me in 2nd grade. I should be able to add and subtract. I feel like the actually checkbook stuff, budgeting, etc should be taught by parents. I think I would have an issue with the school teaching my child budgeting and me having no say. My budget and my ideas are different. Do you think the school teaches tithing? Do they teach what amount should go into savings? Do they teach how much of your income should go to housing? Those are practical uses and each family feels differently. Just look at the cars we drive. I personally could never justify leasing a car or having a payment in excess of 500 dollars a month. This means we won't be driving a mercedes unless someone dies and gives us one. As for English, what is on that test? Some spelling I am sure, knowing the different parts of speech, writing a persuasive story, etc. I think all of those things are things we need to know. Do we really need to know how to disect a sentence? Well as an adult I don't really use that skill. But when I write a letter, it does help to know oh, the word different is an adverb and maybe we should put that "ly" on the end that gets forgotten all the time. I don't know. What I am saying is sometimes teaching the test is more a matter of getting back to the basics. We did get frilly, it is great to learn to the life cycle of a chicken, and fun to have them hatch. But if I have to pick I want my kids adding numbers not playing with chickens!
As for college. I agree not all kids are college material. However, I think children who do not go to college are at a disadvantage finacially. Yes people without college degrees can make good money. They typcially work harder and longer for the same pay. Statistically college graduates make twice as much as non college kids. My kids will not be given a choice about college. We expect (and will pay for) a higher education. This may not be a traditional college, but high school will not be their last degree, if I have any say.
As far as kids will eventually learn. Some will, some won't. Out of my three, I have one that is pretty content to be an idiot. I love him dearly and he has the highest IQ, but has no interest in really working to improve himself. His handwriting is horrible, his spelling is attrocious and his work ethic is the lowest I have seen. If I just let him take his own pace he would sit, watch tv, eat and get fat. How do I know this? Well in the summer I do let him do his own thing. My other two kids take a few weeks to chill and then work their minds. They play games, do puzzles, ask questions, and explore. My middle kid, he becomes a vegatable. Ultimately the harder I push him the happier he is, but he can't seem to make that connection for himself. He is 10, I keep thinking it will kick in anyday. So while I will agree for some kids a more laid back approach helps, it also isn't the answer.
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