2006-09-29 07:43:10 · 10 answers · asked by CDEFGHIJ^ 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
First of all, I am currently a 12th grader in the public school system so unlike many of the people who answered this question, I am actually qualified to answer. I do agree that the schools are failing today's students but considering the meaning of literacy I do not believe that we are in any danger of getting below 50%. Nearly all of my peers can read just fine (at least enough to make it through life) and those who can't, entered the country recently. On the other hand, I think we need to ask ourselves, how long before our students reading levels are 50% below those of students in other countries. That is definitely a serious problem. As to the comment that students are failing the schools, I completely disagree. If the bar is set at a failing level than of course we are going to fail. It takes high standards to produce high achieving students. (side note: I do not want to read any comments on my sentence structure or spelling. I am acutely aware of my problems in the subject of writing and although I may not be perfect I am literate.)
2006-09-29 10:11:19 · answer #1 · answered by jazzyrhythms 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The government is failing our students, not the schools. I know that sounds a little off, but it's the truth. The person who said the standards are changing is absolutely right. If a 2nd grader is expected to know 4th grade material, it's gonna be hard to be successful. It's as if all the child development and psychology research that's been done has been thrown out the window and replaced with ridiculous governmental standards. The people deciding what students should and shouldn't know are speaking out their butts. They don't know what children can handle developmentally. Don't get me wrong- no teacher is perfect, and no program is perfect. It's an ever-changing field that must constantly be adapted to suit the needs of the children in a given class.
With all that said, parents need to start expecting more. They also need to start expecting more from themselves. If I had a dollar for every time one of my students failed to complete a homework assignment because they had ball practice, I'd have...like 30 bucks (I haven't been teaching for too many years, lol). My point is that our priorities are all out of whack. THAT'S the problem with American education. Children aren't expected to put forth effort, but their standards are being raised every year. They're doing less but expected to do more. It just doesn't make any sense.
As for the literacy rate falling to 50%, fat chance. Kids still know how to read.
2006-09-30 15:53:30 · answer #2 · answered by elizabeth_ashley44 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the schools failing the student? Maybe the students are failing their classes. I have taught students in the past and at times I'm lucky to get them to show up for class and when they do they talk or text message do everything but participate. Possibly maybe they should take some responsibility for the poor education they receive. This is not the case for all students but for many of them. If it continues then you are right this country will have more functionally Illiterate people then those that are literate.
2006-09-29 08:00:44 · answer #3 · answered by John B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
never.
yes, schools aren't performing well. Because they are government controilled, they have no flexibility to find new and creative ways to teach students, and no flexibility to fire bad teachers because of the unions.
But regardless, people have to learn how to read in order to succeed, so the literacy rate will never drop that low. Plus literacy is up more than any previous times in history because almost everyone goes to school, as opposed to the past.
2006-09-29 07:44:43 · answer #4 · answered by HokiePaul 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Judging by the spelling and grammar of the typical YA user, I suspect that our rate may be nearing that now. Well, at least the functional literacy rate may be nearing 50%.
2006-09-29 07:45:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must be one of the many parents I deal with who want to blame it all on "the schools" while you sit watching tv, working out at the gym, going to the stock car races or major league games all weekend instead of teaching your kids to be responsible students accountable for their homework and accepting responsibilty for thier lack of effort or behavior.
Yet we teachers are constantly in before and after school meetings, organizing colaboration, retrainings, data surveys,commitees, setting up tutoring, and constantly taking intervention courses on how to improve our student's study habits, inquiry,literacy and math reasoning and calculation skills.
You may think teachers get out at 3PM but I gueantee you they have a cart on wheels in their trunk they will break out for 2-4 hours when they get home. All of us work during the weekend and most of us work summer school.
Log on to your state's standards and see how many pages of objectives required for each grade level and each subject!!!
Tests I gave fourth graders ten years ago, now is the information given on 2nd grade tests.
2006-09-29 18:03:37 · answer #6 · answered by atheleticman_fan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Based upon the college students I interact with regularly, I'm surprised we're still above 50 (if we really are).
2006-09-29 07:45:03 · answer #7 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are really a negative person. Kids today know far more than any other generation in the course of human history.
2006-09-29 07:45:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
why dont you go take a state mandated test and then get back to us. there are articles all the time about the pressure put on kindergardeners to learn to read before first grade.
2006-09-29 07:52:21 · answer #9 · answered by craftyttangl254 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It hasn't already...OK
2006-09-29 07:44:44 · answer #10 · answered by Lindsay 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋