Public school students seem to be smarter than some people think they are
Bob LeChevalier
Every once in a while some news agency posts the results of some poll
or test that shows the abysmal ignorance and stupidity of the public
school students of this country. People tend to believe these
reports, and they echo down through time as evidence that the schools
are getting worse and worse, and our "educated" society is somehow
getting less and less educated.
Finally someone questioned conventional wisdom, put it to the test,
and showed that conventional wisdom was nonsense (and that one
pollster apparently concocted fraudulent data).
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/real-oklahoma-students-ace-citizenship.html
I wouldn't call 78% "acing" the test, but it sure is a lot better than
what is typically reported. My faith in American students is
considerably restored.
I do wonder though about the 2% that didn't say that George Washington
was the first president. What answer did they give instead? I wonder
if any of them gave the actual "correct answer".
lojbab
---
Bob LeChevalier - artificial linguist; genealogist
loj...@lojban.org Lojban language www.lojban.org
Juan M
"Bob LeChevalier" <loj...@lojban.org> wrote in message
news:kbidf5hrrb7jmqo7f...@4ax.com...
Rowley
> A rare thread initiated by lojbab %^)
>
> Every once in a while some news agency posts the results of some poll
> or test that shows the abysmal ignorance and stupidity of the public
> school students of this country. People tend to believe these
> reports, and they echo down through time as evidence that the schools
> are getting worse and worse, and our "educated" society is somehow
> getting less and less educated.
>
> Finally someone questioned conventional wisdom, put it to the test,
> and showed that conventional wisdom was nonsense (and that one
> pollster apparently concocted fraudulent data).
Heh.. not like you can sue somebody for using fraudulent data that they
concocted... (or does that rule only apply to prosecutors?)
>
> http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/real-oklahoma-students-ace-citizenship.html
>
> I wouldn't call 78% "acing" the test, but it sure is a lot better than
> what is typically reported. My faith in American students is
> considerably restored.
It's not the 100% which seems to be what most people would like to
see... but it still not "failing"...
>
> I do wonder though about the 2% that didn't say that George Washington
> was the first president. What answer did they give instead? I wonder
> if any of them gave the actual "correct answer".
Heck some people still celebrate Columbus Day...
Martin
Juan M
"Rowley" <industry...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:hd798...@news6.newsguy.com...
John Hanson, Presiding officer of the Continental Congress, was the first to
use the title President of the United States.
Of coures, Washington was Father of his Country.