You would think that someone working for the self-described "Essential Global News Network" known as the Associated Press as an Education Writer might go beyond using the Copy and Paste commands in reporting on national college entrance exam test scores.
From all appearances, you would be wrong.
AP Education Writer Justin Pope's report on the 2008 ACT exam results appears to contain nothing that isn't already in ACT, Inc.'s press release. For whatever reason, Pope missed a shocking set of results out of Michigan that should deeply worry anyone concerned about the future competency of our workforce.
Here's most of the early portion of Mr. Pope's report (bold after the headline is mine):
ACT scores down, but more students college-ready
Average scores on the ACT college entrance exam dipped slightly for the high school class of 2008 as the number of students taking the exam jumped by 9 percent compared to last year.
This year's results, released Wednesday, reveal that more than three in four test-takers will likely need remedial help in at least one subject to succeed in college. But the ACT's creators said it was good news that average scores held nearly steady even as more students took the exam. That means the total number who've earned benchmark scores showing they're ready for college-level work is rising.
..... The average ACT composite score was 21.1 for the class of 2008, compared to 21.2 a year ago, on a scale of 1 to 36.
..... A record 1.42 million - or 43 percent - of this year's high school graduates took the ACT. It was the first time a full grade level of students had been required to take the exam in Michigan, which joined Illinois in Colorado as the only states mandating the ACT statewide.
Pope goes on later to tell us that nationwide, "ACT scores continue to show huge gaps remain between the preparation students receive in high school and what they need to succeed in college. Only 22 percent met a benchmark score for college readiness in all four subjects - English, math, reading and science. That's a one-percentage-point decline from last year." It's hard to see how the headline matches the content, especially given the fact that after at least 13 years in school, so many incoming students need at least some remedial help.
But beyond that, you would think someone, somewhere might be curious about how Michigan's ACT test results were affected in the first year it became mandatory.
I was. You'll have a hard time believing what I found.
Here's the raw data of interest contained at Page 7 of the organization's Michigan report (link is to list of individual state pages downloadable as PDFs):
Now, let's apply a bit of the math that many Michigan high school grads apparently are unable to do, in the form of an ACT-like word problem:
Assume that if it weren't for Michigan's 2008 mandate, the number of Wolverine State test takers would have been the same as in 2007, and that they would have turned in the same results on each section of the test as the similar group did in 2007. Also assume that the rest of the test takers would thus be those who only took the ACT because it was required.
Refer to the former group as College-Bound, and the latter group as Not College-Bound.
If the percentage of the College-Bound shown to be ready for college was the same in 2008 in the four primary subjects and "Meeting All Four Parts" as in 2007, what percentage of Not College-Bound test takers was ready for college in each of these five areas? Round your answers to the nearest 0.1%.
Here are the shocking answers:
In words, the chart shows that:
- Less than 28% of high school grads who aren't going to college have the English skills necessary to be ready for college.
- Barely 5% of them have the requisite math knowledge and skills.
- Barely 15% can read well enough to be described as ready for college.
- Less than 6% have the requisite knowledge and skills in science.
- Less than 2% (less than 800 out of 45,000!) are college-ready in all four areas, i.e., 98% of them would need remedial help in at least one area if they chose to try going to college.
Although it would be easy, this isn't a stab at Michigan. The Wolverine State's switch to mandatory ACT testing provided a rare window into what those not going to college know and can do after being run through the educational sausage factory. I don't doubt for a minute that similar depressing results for the Not College-Bound could be found in many, if not most, other states.
Look, we can argue all day long about how imperfectly the ACT test measures how ready someone who has no college plans is for the workplace. But can anyone deny that the required skill set necessary to go beyond the most menial of jobs, and thus to have a meaningful work career, is growing, and that the massive failures seen above -- especially in English, math, and reading -- are anything short of a disaster? In the global marketplace for labor, if employers can't find the necessary skills here, they will find them somewhere else, and America's dangerous slide into job-skills mediocrity will accelerate.
If the alleged journalists at AP like Mr. Pope would do some reporting and stop merely parroting press releases, maybe news like this would get out, and something might be done. Maybe.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I see the quality of
August 14, 2008 - 16:05 ET by benrandI see the quality of college "student" of today.
This is not surprising at all.
I have two kids that recently graduated from a Michigan college
August 14, 2008 - 16:58 ET by JTP(MSU) both with honors. Fortunately our school district has a very high graduation rate and high all around test scores. Unfortunately there are many districts nearby that have just the opposite. There have been laws passed in this state that bring per pupil funding close to the same levels but not even for all districts. After the funding was leveled out I don't believe the previously "underfunded" schools have advanced their graduation rates or test scores in any meaningful manner. So the "more money" mantra to "fix" education to me is meaningless. The districts that do well are not necessarily in high income areas. But they are more than likely in the semi rural areas outside but not too far outside major cities. (not always the case though) I think the larger cities such as Lansing, Flint and Detroit bring down the states overall scores. Grand Rapids which is a somewhat religous part of the state does better than the comparable sized cities. I believe the parents involvement has more to do with the childs outcome than the schools ability to teach. Even though we have a very strong teachers union in the state which will protect a bad teacher equally to a good teacher I don't put ALL the blame on them as many others do. I believe the parents have to be slave drivers when it comes to preparing thier kids for the real world. Too often a teacher with a problem child in the classroom gets no help from the parents when the kid is reported. I think the "Not my child" response from the parents would eventually wear the teacher down to the point where they just don't care and will ignore the kid and spend thier time with the kids that do want to learn. The sigificant question is why don't the parents feel the need to drive the kids harder? Do they think that Uncle Sam will take care of them for life? If they do, is that because they are being subsidised themselves? I don't know the answer to that question.
My parents were slave drivers in the sense to be self supporting and I was to my kids as well. I thank them everyday for the direction I received when growing up. I knew the teacher was never wrong and I would face the punishment twice if my dad heard about trouble at school and would have to study twice as hard if my mother saw a bad grade on a paper or report card. I don't think it is like that anymore with most kids.
Now, the things that are being taught or ignored as history, world events and AGW is an entire debate in itself.
"I need more cowbell!" SNL
Dealing with the general public
August 14, 2008 - 17:31 ET by DEVILDOCMOMis shocking. I work Triage quite a bit as an ER nurse; I am constantly amazed at the spelling (I hert..., thraught pan... you have the idea) and the general ignorance on basic subjects. These aren't even the illegals who come in on a daily basis.
money
August 14, 2008 - 18:25 ET by pgrossjrMoney is rarely the problem in education. and that excuse has been gone for awhile. With the advent of NCLB, the education system in this county is awash in government funds. there are literally millions that have not been spent from the past few budgets. the problem lies with uninvolved parents, teachers unions busy advancing liberal agendas instead of classroom control and school administrators busy screwing up the curricula. Kids are spending too much time learning BS instead of the three R's. we have done away with honor rolls, have 6 valedictorians and queer clubs in high school all in the name of making sure nobodys feelings are hurt. Spanish is the only foreign language taught in our school system, while the Chinese are kicking our butts. the solutions are simple; school choice, shut down the federal department of education and return control to the local level.
How did illegal children do?
August 14, 2008 - 18:40 ET by Daniel BakerThey must have the stats
John McCain 2008 Protect Traditional Marriage
Traditional Marriage is not "Divisive" Obama.
From The Perspective Of Business
August 14, 2008 - 18:51 ET by geoff.galeMy chosen field of endeavour is HR. As someone who regularly reads cover letters and resumes, I have seen a visible decline in the ability of both non-college graduates and college graduates to express their thoughts in writing. I'm not just talking about spelling errors, punctuation errors and poor grammar which, in an age in spell check and grammar check, is just amazing. What is more frustrating is the inability many younger people exhibit in expressing their thoughts cogently on paper. Disconnected sentences and thoughts arranged on paper do not neccessarily make for a letter or report.
Further, as someone who regularly deals with developing training programmes that remediate skills deficiencies in the workforce, I am even more discouraged by the overall level of knowledge possessed by the young people coming out of our educational system. What I consider to be simple facts about science, geography, maths and history are just missing from the education that these young people were given. I've had a lot of younger people in the workplace tell me that I must be really smart. I am fairly smart, but what they're usually responding to is my large base of knowledge, much of which I learned in an educational system that still worked and in which performance was prized over feel-good warm fuzziness.
Don't get me wrong - there are lots of talented, capable and motivated young people. My comment is specifically that the number who aren't well trained, well educated and knowledgable is growing. And that should be the most frightening aspect of the future for anyone in this country who operates a business.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativeboot...
geoff...
August 14, 2008 - 20:14 ET by Clear thinkerMaybe your candidates should text their resumes to you. They can do this with their eyes closed, and call it a good reason to hire them.
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
@CT
August 14, 2008 - 21:41 ET by geoff.galeI'd only accept those texts if the candidate could prove that he/she was driving a car and doing over 70 in traffic. Judgment like that can't be taught - it's innate.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativeboot...
An eye-opening
August 14, 2008 - 20:09 ET by winston smithAn eye-opening scoresheet of what 24/7 MTV, video games, hip-hop values, 'whole word', Ebonics, outcome-based solutions, 'more spending on education', diversity training, values clarification in the classroom, and the public school system in general does to the average American high school student. Welcome to the next generation that will be pushing your wheelchair and administering your medications someday, folks. Frightening.
That's why we shouldn't
August 15, 2008 - 12:23 ET by Conservative BluesThat's why we shouldn't keep score. That way everyone wins! <sarc off>
Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."
Given Mr. Pope's obvious
August 14, 2008 - 20:23 ET by ThisnThatGiven Mr. Pope's obvious lack of (a) interest, or (b) ability to wade through the ACT report and extract meaning from it, it would be interesting to have AP members take the ACT and see how well prepared anyone at AP is to understand and report (reading skills) any type of statstical information (math skills) on anything, including topics like Global Warming (science skills).
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Test scores give hope to MSNBC
August 14, 2008 - 20:27 ET by nkviking75Here's the answer for anyone who wondered where the next generation of MSNBC hosts would come from.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Good one Nkvicking!
August 14, 2008 - 20:39 ET by Dee BunkI missed it originally as I was typing my way serious long winded post below. ; )
Tom - I liove your story problem and your original analysis
August 14, 2008 - 20:28 ET by Dee Bunkfor one thing it's spot on and for another it keeps our liberal posters away (they don't like the facts and figures) ; )
You are so right about the parroting of press releases, that is all the press does unless it's a press release from a conservative.
The other thing that bothers me about these type of stories is that they never compare Private and home school ACT results.
You have to got to the private school to get the comparison and I don't know if anyone keeps track of the homeschool results. Here are the results for the local Catholic Highschool that is close to where I live. It doesn't surprise me because I've had friends and relatives who have transferred their kids to this school and found that even though we live in a very highly rated school district within the state, their kids were very far behind.
Here are comparisons for IL - I'm sure these results would be similar in other states
Benet Academy Vs IL public Schools
To be fair, this school draws largely from my City and other surrounding ones that are all pretty wealthy compared to others in IL. My City has a median family income of $123,221 and Mean is $148,316. My High school district is one of the highest rated in the surrounding area and in 2006 the composite ACT score was 24.8 which is still over 3 points lower than Benet.
Very .....
August 14, 2008 - 20:46 ET by Tom Blumerimpressive.
You're also not in the Archd. of Chicago, which I did not know.
Why?
August 15, 2008 - 08:27 ET by bioteachedAs a former educator, I see this as a reflection of two problems in our current education system:
The first is that there is this insane idea that everyone should go to college and that if you do not go to college, you will not be successful in life. They have taken trade school training out of all of the high schools and forced people that could be wildly successful in a trade into a learning system of which they have no desire to be a part. Put anyone in a class that they do not desire to be in and they will not learn.
Secondly, there is this attitude in education that exposing students to more information is better than getting them to learn something. The system is such that the goal is to get all kids in advanced classes with no regard for actually learning the basics. You cannot do advanced calculus if you cannot add/subtract/multiply/divide.
Thirty Seven Percent
August 15, 2008 - 09:02 ET by Copperhead RidgeAt some state universities in my state -- Kentucky -- 37% of the students have to take remedial classes. Up until recently, I worked very closely with a state university (I'll leave it nameless because it is also my alma mater) and discovered that the institution took any knuckle-dragger off the street. It then actively worked at retaining that student to keep government grants and bank loans pouring into its tuition coffers.
In other words, the education the university was supposedly providing these people was a scam to seperate them from their money. They had no intention of providing those souls with an education that would prove useful to them in the future.
A professor friend of mine, who teaches economics, asked how many of his students would be happy with earning $10 an hour upon completing their degrees. Every one of them raised their hands. Kentucky definitely has some impoverished areas, but I was astounded at what he found.
Why waste thousands of dollars a year for an education if your only hope is to make $10 an hour?
That's the problem, though. Our education system is designed to find the lowest common denominator and bring everyone to that point. That's why I find it breathtaking to hear Michelle Obama urge students to reject the hire earning professions for "service" jobs. She cloaks it in some sort of rejection of greed, but it is a disservice to the target audience.
Perhaps people can be of better service to society after having a high income for 25 years than if they come out of college in debt up to their hairlines and work for $25,000 a year.
Somebody has to pull the freakin' wagon.
My real beef is that the universities in my state won't demand that the public school system send them students who are ready for college. Instead, we waste higher education resources preparing these kids, who were shortchanged by their education, for a university education.
No one says anything. Instead, the universities respond by dumbing down their entrance standards and even the work to receive a degree. In Kentucky, if the universities cut out remedial education and demanded that its students be ready for college when they step upon their campuses, then there would be universal reform in the public school systems.
I went to a very old public school in Louisville. During my senior year a friend of mine and I discovered an old box of papers in a storage area. They dated from the 1920s and 1930s. They were exams. When I read over the exams, I was no where near passing them. I was stunned at what was demanded of the students at the very same high school a half century before I was there.
I was sort of disappointed. I wanted to be challenged in the same way they were. I got a very good education in high school, but I could've gone to the same school and gotten a crappy one.
I realize that this is probably a dead thread, but my job has had me on the road for most of the week. I've not been able to goof off much.
Not quite dead yet ....
August 15, 2008 - 11:25 ET by Tom BlumerGreat comment. I'll bet most people would find what you found if you looked at really old tests.
Same here...my Aunt who was
August 16, 2008 - 19:30 ET by bigtimerSame here...my Aunt who was a public school teacher, principal, Superintendent, counselor...sent me an email that had a test they took back in the years you are talking about Copperhead...you had the opportunity to take it yourself....plus answers afterwards....
You are so right in your summation of all of this...
I didn't finish high school, got my GED later...had the last of a great public education left in Ca. which I am thankful for, but for any of us to try to pass that test....well, I just don't know.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
What about the huge number of kids who don't finish high school?
August 16, 2008 - 19:11 ET by BadgermikeThe kids who don't finish H.S. don't take the ACT. Imagine what they would do to the overall score. How pathetic.
Ouch....
August 17, 2008 - 18:30 ET by Tom BlumerGreat. Point. Good thing it isn't possible for less than 0% to pass.