Townhall.com
Walter Williams
April 25, 2018

Earlier this month, the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, aka The Nation's Report Card, was released. It's not a pretty story. Only 37 percent of 12th-graders tested proficient or better in reading, and only 25 percent did so in math. Among black students, only 17 percent tested proficient or better in reading, and just 7 percent reached at least a proficient level in math.

The atrocious NAEP performance is only a fraction of the bad news. Nationally, our high school graduation rate is over 80 percent. That means high school diplomas, which attest that these students can read and compute at a 12th-grade level, are conferred when 63 percent are not proficient in reading and 75 percent are not proficient in math. For blacks, the news is worse. Roughly 75 percent of black students received high school diplomas attesting that they could read and compute at the 12th-grade level. However, 83 percent could not read at that level, and 93 percent could not do math at that level. It's grossly dishonest for the education establishment and politicians to boast about unprecedented graduation rates when the high school diplomas, for the most part, do not represent academic achievement. At best, they certify attendance.

Fraudulent high school diplomas aren't the worst part of the fraud. Some of the greatest fraud occurs at the higher education levels -- colleges and universities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of white high school graduates in 2016 enrolled in college, and 58 percent of black high school graduates enrolled in college. Here are my questions to you: If only 37 percent of white high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 70 percent of them? And if roughly 17 percent of black high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 58 percent of them?

It's inconceivable that college administrators are unaware that they are admitting students who are ill-prepared and cannot perform at the college level. Colleges cope with ill-prepared students in several ways. They provide remedial courses. One study suggests that more than two-thirds of community college students take at least one remedial course, as do 40 percent of four-year college students. College professors dumb down their courses so that ill-prepared students can get passing grades. Colleges also set up majors with little analytical demands so as to accommodate students with analytical deficits. Such majors often include the term "studies," such as ethnic studies, cultural studies, gender studies and American studies. The major for the most ill-prepared students, sadly enough, is education. When students' SAT scores are ranked by intended major, education majors place 26th on a list of 38.

The bottom line is that colleges are admitting youngsters who have not mastered what used to be considered a ninth-grade level of proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic. Very often, when they graduate from college, they still can't master even a 12th-grade level of academic proficiency. The problem is worse in college sports. During a recent University of North Carolina scandal, a learning specialist hired to help athletes found that during the period from 2004 to 2012, 60 percent of the 183 members of the football and basketball teams read between fourth- and eighth-grade levels. About 10 percent read below a third-grade level. Keep in mind that all of these athletes both graduated from high school and were admitted to college.

How necessary is college anyway? One estimate is that 1 in 3 college graduates have a job historically performed by those with a high school diploma. According to Richard Vedder, distinguished emeritus professor of economics at Ohio University and the director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, in 2012 there were 115,000 janitors, 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders and about 35,000 taxi drivers with a bachelor's degree.

I'm not sure about what can be done about education. But the first step toward any solution is for the American people to be aware of academic fraud at every level of education.

Link

I have several friends who teach at local "State" (formerly known as Community) colleges. Both complain that they are forced to remediate most of their students. High School graduates who cannot take English Composition or College Algebra because they lack basic reading or math skills.

Like Dr. Williams, I’m not “sure” what can be done about education, but I am confident that the best first step is to close the public schools, in favor of private organizations offering a variety of educational opportunities, from trade level blue collar prep to Rhodes Scholar prep, and let parents pick what is appropriate for each child.

Nobody prospers under the present debacle except the teachers unions. It is hard to imagine a less effective means of educating our children at higher cost than this mess.

quote:

Nobody prospers under the present debacle except the teachers unions. It is hard to imagine a less effective means of educating our children at higher cost than this mess.

I served on the local (public) school board for 6 years. The biggest thing I learned was that the decisions made primarily benefit the administrators, second the teachers unions, and the students were a mere by-product to be tolerated as "useful idiots", necessary to keep the money flowing.

Is it possible to get a good education? I would say Yes, it is and was. The children of board members were usually in higher level, AP classes with the best teachers. The parents have to get involved and work on behalf of their child.
But that's the norm in private schools rather than the exception. Parents should choose what is best for the child.

I read this article earlier today. I saw this in my college days many years ago. Then about half the freshman washed out in the first semester. They were just wasting their money to be there in the first place.

That was 40 years ago. Looks like these dropouts now get a Pass.

College profs have complained about preparedness of incoming freshmen since before I was one.

Now, maybe we should begin to question the preparedness of college profs, too. Some of those guys seem awfully uneducated.

the first step to solving a problem is to recognize it

the problem is public schools and the first step in the solution is to eliminate them

start over

private schools

It's very sad because the public schools used to perform the essential function of bringing up good citizens who loved and appreciated their country and culture.
Now that they do the exact opposite, they must be recognized for what they are and defunded.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Nobody prospers under the present debacle except the teachers unions. It is hard to imagine a less effective means of educating our children at higher cost than this mess.

I served on the local (public) school board for 6 years. The biggest thing I learned was that the decisions made primarily benefit the administrators, second the teachers unions, and the students were a mere by-product to be tolerated as "useful idiots", necessary to keep the money flowing....

I think that needs emphasis, hope you don't mind. The higher the number of students enrolled, the higher the school budget, which means the higher the pay and benefits for school execs, faculty, staff.

(But as our college pres' hand picked student taught us on opening day a couple of years ago, it is more important for a college student to get and use political power while in school than to get and use marketable job skills).

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the first step to solving a problem is to recognize it

the problem is public schools and the first step in the solution is to eliminate them

start over

private schools

The problem goes far deeper than public schools. I'm with JALLEN and you that public education should be shut down in favor of a private solution, but I don't think that will solve the problem. When 70%+ of black kids are born out of wedlock insuring 'zero' structure, stability, and support at home, these kids will still fail. As Mr. Williams notes, I don't know how to fix the problem(s) either given their depth and breadth, but because we've allowed society as a whole to devolved so far, any real solutions are going to have to be comprehensive and as such, incredibly difficult. Or put another way, don't expect to ever see any 'real' solutions.

quote:

As Mr. Williams notes, I don't know how to fix the problem(s) either given their depth and breadth, but because we've allowed society as a whole to devolved so far, any real solutions are going to have to be comprehensive and as such, incredibly difficult.

Yes, difficult indeed.
It requires a return to individual responsibility, which is why education is a parental responsibility, not something the government should be involved in.
But individual responsibility must go much further than education. It also means NO "entitlements". If you are able bodied and you don't want to work, you don't eat. If you are not capable, you must appeal to private charity. No more welfare dependency. Hunger is a terrific motivator.

Hunger Beats Fear As Nature's Strongest Motivator
https://www.forbes.com/sites/j...0/hungry-motivation/

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Townhall.com
Walter Williams
April 25, 2018

... ...Here are my questions to you: If only 37 percent of white high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 70 percent of them? And if roughly 17 percent of black high school graduates test as college-ready, how come colleges are admitting 58 percent of them?

Maybe Walter should do a bit of research, best I can find there are over 5000 colleges in the US. Methinks Walter, it is economics that dictate admissions and not a higher calling of education.

(and don't even look at Division 1A football....)

quote:

Methinks Walter, it is economics that dictate admissions and not a higher calling of education.

Methinks Walter knows a thing or two about economics.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:...Methinks Walter knows a thing or two about economics.

You would think, with a .phD and all, but then again, it would make for a much shorter article and I guess he wanted to make another point....

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the first step to solving a problem is to recognize it

the problem is public schools and the first step in the solution is to eliminate them

start over

private schools

The problem goes far deeper than public schools. I'm with JALLEN and you that public education should be shut down in favor of a private solution, but I don't think that will solve the problem. When 70%+ of black kids are born out of wedlock insuring 'zero' structure, stability, and support at home, these kids will still fail. As Mr. Williams notes, I don't know how to fix the problem(s) either given their depth and breadth, but because we've allowed society as a whole to devolved so far, any real solutions are going to have to be comprehensive and as such, incredibly difficult. Or put another way, don't expect to ever see any 'real' solutions.

I agree to a certain extent, but I see that as a series of excuses rather than a series of reasons

anyone can learn anything if they're being educated

public schools have failed to educate for the last 10 - 15 years - they're a publicly funded social engineering organization, and could care less if anyone learns anything as long as they're indoctrinated with revisionist thinking

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:....public schools have failed to educate for the last 10 - 15 years - they're a publicly funded social engineering organization, and could care less if anyone learns anything as long as they're indoctrinated with revisionist thinking

I think that needs a repeat.