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California tests scores among worst in U.S.

October 30, 2015

grad-school-testsCalifornia K-12 students have some of the worst math and reading skills in the United States, according to new national test results. [Mercury News]

The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests the math and reading abilities of a sampling of fourth and eighth graders. It is the only standardized test administered across the country. The 2015 NAEP results were released Wednesday.

Results show the average fourth grade math score in California was worse than that of 44 other states. In the average math score rankings, California placed just one point higher on a zero-to-500 scale than New Mexico, Alabama and Washington, D.C.

California eight graders scored worse in math than their peers in 35 other states. California’s average eight grade math score was higher than that of five states and Washington, D.C. and about the same as nine states.

Only 27 to 29 percent of California students rated as proficient in both math and reading.

Even when factoring in the predominance of English learners and poor children, California fairs among the worst in the country, according to an analysis released Monday by the Urban Institute.

In 2013, California finished tied for 39th in fourth grade reading, 44th in eighth grade reading, 46th in eighth grade math and last in fourth grade math, according to Urban Institute rankings. California’s 2015 scores are statistically similar to the 2013 ones.

California is spending $53 billion this fiscal year on education.

State Department of Education spokesman Bill Ainsworth said the NAEP tests are not completely aligned with the Common Core State Standards, so they are not are not a good measure of California students’ progress.


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And just yesterday Obama says he wants to send 8000 of the Syrian refugees to San Diego. How do you think those scores will do now with more non-English speakers?


Back during the great migration of the late 1800’s into early 1900’s people would assimilate into society and look at the country after that till the late 60’s. Now? No we all need to speak the language of those coming. And people wonder what went wrong?


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Proposition 13.


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You are either being factious or you are a recent math graduate of a California school.


Prop 13 has nothing to do with the education of our kids, unless you are among those

who believe more money is the answer. The education system in California (and in most

states) gets more than enough money to do the job – if they would spend it wisely and

do the job they are supposed to do.


The bare-bones, undeniable fact is that the education system in this state, and this nation,

is broken. And pouring more money at it will not fix one single thing.


Until enough people see this and demand concrete, measurable changes; this country will suffer. If a nation can not educate its children to adequately prepare them for the

jobs of the 21st century – then we will continue to reap what we sow.


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“And pouring more money at it will not fix one single thing.”


“Until enough people see this and demand concrete, measurable changes”…


Do you really think these changes will happen for free? Without money, they will not happen. Change always costs. Only ignorance is free.


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It is not that “Change always costs” (very government-speak of you), rather, it is the difficulty in applying a metric to measure failure and success.


It’s already been proven time and time again that cheating test results by teachers and/or administrators for more dollars occurs, so pure testing is hard to do. Plus, you’ll end up with common core – spend all your time teaching kids to take a test, not get an education.


Installing a meritocracy in the school system is what needs to happen; hell, installing a meritocracy EVERYWHERE would be ideal. Again, the trick is measuring the merit part.


I concur with most people I’ve ever spoken to on this: the schools are getting WAY MORE THAN ENOUGH money. They just excessively waste it.


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Welcome to the New Amerka


More than half of Los Angeles County residents speak a language other than English at home. The 10 most frequently spoken languages countywide are: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Vietnamese, Farsi, Japanese and Russian.


There are at least 224 identified languages in Los Angeles County. these languages. Only 92 languages have been specifically identified among students of the Los Angeles Unified School District.


http://www.laalmanac.com/LA/la10b.htm


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Perhaps instead of focusing on providing MORE for those who are here illegally, and freeing the convicted felons, and increasing the welfare programs to the point that it becomes a way of life, and regulating, regulating, regulating, the government should focus just a tad more on education. You see it’s all relative, because an educated person would not allow the government to govern so poorly.


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Hey but California kids are well educated in how to be politically correct, who care about unimportant things like reading and math. The USA is racing to the bottom and California is leading the way. Close the border, institute discipline, fire bad teachers, disband the teachers union and eliminate 75% of the administrators and we might start to see math and reading skills inprove


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Forget about importing immigrant tech workers to fill high paying tech jobs “Americans won’t do”.


Let’s start importing immigrant kids to take tests that American kids are obviously too ignorant to pass.


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So the news says we are spending $53 billion on education in California. How much is spent on teaching English in K through 12 and are we comparing that?


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How’s that open border policy working out?


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Even when factoring in the predominance of English learners and poor children, California fairs among the worst in the country” – Not a surprise as the teachers have to dumb it down for the average students and those with money take their kids out of the public schools.


What a disaster.


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More money…more money….mo money.


If we only throw Mo Money at It and keep the teacher unions happy we can solve it….ya right.


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