MATT SMITH spoke of Re: U.S. Education to DAN TRIPLETT on 11-13-96
MS>DT> MS>DT> International Studies Tell Us," (1996) a key finding is
MS>DT> MS>DT> sited. The  article states that "8th grade proficiency
MS>DT> scores in  Iowa,
MS>DT> MS>DT> North  Dakota,
MS>DT> MS>DT> and Minnesota were the same as those in the top-performing
MS>DT> MS>DT> countries  
MS>DT> MS>    These three states are _very_ unrepresentative of America.
MS>DT> There weren't meant to be representative which you would have
MS>DT> been  aware 
MS>DT> of if you had read more carefully.
MS> 
MS>    True.  But that only shows that public-school conditions in those
MS>states  is unrepresentative of that faced by the average kid in
MS>America!  
This is probably true.  The point of this article is that we need to 
look at educational facts on an individual basis.  If others are going 
to lump facts together and make the claim that _all_ of America's 
educational system is failing they need to be able to prove every piece.   
However, the facts paint a different picture.  When various factors are 
considered and when comparisons between America and other countries is 
measured correctly and fairly, the picture looks very different.  The 
current rhetoric fueling the distrust in our public schools is filled 
with many dishonest claims.  
MS>DT> MS>    All three are almost all-white, with very few English-
MS>DT> MS>as-a-second-language kids.
MS>DT> MS>    These states have disproportionately very few "hard to 
MS>DT> educate"
MS>DT> MS>kids  compared to the rest of America.
MS>DT> MS>    And you call this study "research"?  
MS>DT> years.  Have you ever visited Minneapolis or St. Paul?  
MS> 
MS>    I've seen Duluth.  But even it is a hell of a lot different from 
MS>Pittsburgh.
Minneapolis and Pittsburgh may have some similarities though..
Dan
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