U.S. Students Lose Ground On Reading Tests
In this citizen journalism image taken on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 and provided by Edlib News Network ENN, a Syrian girl sits atop of a U.N. observers vehicle during a demonstration in Kfarnebel, Idlib province, northern Syria. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria on Thursday to stop its attacks, saying the U.N. observers monitoring the cease-fire were not there to watch the killing of innocent people. (AP Photo/Edlib News Network ENN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO / HONS
U.S. fourth-graders have lost ground in reading ability compared with kids around the world, according to results of a global reading test.
Test results released Wednesday showed U.S. students, who took the test last year, scored about the same as they did in 2001, the last time the test was given, despite an increased emphasis on reading under the No Child Left Behind law.
Still, the U.S. average score on the Progress in International Reading Literacy test remained above the international average. Ten countries or jurisdictions, including Hong Kong and three Canadian provinces, were ahead of the United States this time. In 2001, only three countries were ahead of the United States.
The 2002 No Child Left Behind law requires schools to test students annually in reading and math, and imposes sanctions on schools that miss testing goals.
The U.S. performance on the international test of 45 nations or jurisdictions differed somewhat from results of a U.S. national reading test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card. Fourth-grade reading scores rose modestly on the most recent version of that test, taken earlier this year and measuring growth since 2005. During the previous two-year period, scores were flat.
On the latest international exam, U.S. students posted a lower average score than students in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy and Sweden, along with the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
Last time, Russia, Hong Kong and Singapore were behind the United States.
Hong Kong and Singapore have taken steps since then, such as increasing teacher preparation, providing more tutoring and raising public awareness about the importance of reading, said Ina Mullis, co-director of the International Study Center at Boston College, which conducts the international reading literacy study.
The results also showed:
Among jurisdictions that took the test in 2001 and 2006, scores improved in Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Singapore, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
Average test scores declined in England, Lithuania, Morocco, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden. England, the Netherlands and Sweden were the top three performers in 2001. Sweden still outperformed the United States this time, but average scores in England and the Netherlands were not measurably different from the U.S. average.
Girls scored higher than boys in the United States and all other countries except for Luxembourg and Spain, where the boy-girl scores were the same.
The average U.S. score was above the average score in 22 countries or jurisdictions and about the same as the score in 12 others. The U.S. average fell toward the high end of a level called "intermediate." At that level, a student can identify central events, plot sequences and relevant story details in texts. The student also can make straightforward inferences from what is read and begin to make connections across parts of the text.
Background questionnaires administered to students, teachers and school administrators showed that the average years of experience for fourth-grade teachers in the United States decreased from 15 years to 12 years between 2001 and 2006. The international average was 17 years.
U.S. kids seem to get more reading instruction than others. U.S. teachers were more likely to report teaching reading for more than six hours per week than those elsewhere.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Test results released Wednesday showed U.S. students, who took the test last year, scored about the same as they did in 2001, the last time the test was given, despite an increased emphasis on reading under the No Child Left Behind law.
Still, the U.S. average score on the Progress in International Reading Literacy test remained above the international average. Ten countries or jurisdictions, including Hong Kong and three Canadian provinces, were ahead of the United States this time. In 2001, only three countries were ahead of the United States.
The 2002 No Child Left Behind law requires schools to test students annually in reading and math, and imposes sanctions on schools that miss testing goals.
The U.S. performance on the international test of 45 nations or jurisdictions differed somewhat from results of a U.S. national reading test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card. Fourth-grade reading scores rose modestly on the most recent version of that test, taken earlier this year and measuring growth since 2005. During the previous two-year period, scores were flat.
On the latest international exam, U.S. students posted a lower average score than students in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy and Sweden, along with the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
Last time, Russia, Hong Kong and Singapore were behind the United States.
Hong Kong and Singapore have taken steps since then, such as increasing teacher preparation, providing more tutoring and raising public awareness about the importance of reading, said Ina Mullis, co-director of the International Study Center at Boston College, which conducts the international reading literacy study.
The results also showed:
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Posted by ryanlynn on 11/28/07 at 4:28PM
ttinsly at 08:48 AM : Nov 29, 2007
If you think the University system is in good shape, read the following. I copied it from a blog from NY. You can draw your own conclusion.
Did anyway thing that if they were Lap Tops from the Campus that they can be tracked. When to school there for 2 years, had one of those laptops and there was always a traker on it so that it could be found. How stupid can these people be.
Posted by curse914 at 08:26 AM : Nov 29, 2007
I never said that it was a ''''learning disability'''' , but rather a distraction. They are distracting our kids from learning English, they take time from students, who may need a little help from the teacher. But can''t get that help, because the teacher is trying to teach the illegas kids, English.
Yes, It''s true that most people in Europe are not bilingual, but multi lingual. They are taught at an early age to speak different languages. If we lived in a similar situation, we would be bilingual, but we don''t.
"Maybe the reason lil'''' Johny can''''t read, is because they''''ve tossed English out , in favor of Spanish." Indicates that the first attempt at distraction will be to blame the immagrant population.
Let''s not fall for it. Johnny can''t read because the schools are too busy teaching to over-administered tests to teach solid skills along with the arts and traditional curriculum which support steady, real cognitive growth. And at home parents, all parents, are too busy working two or more jobs trying to keep up with the inflation to have time and energy to read with children at night.
What else can he ruin in this country before he leaves office?
Posted by SgtRDS at 10:06 PM : Nov 28, 2007
Maybe the reason lil'' Johny can''t read, is because they''ve tossed English out , in favor of Spanish.
We''ve had teach these lil'' illegals in their native language, and put our kids aside.
When will people learn?
We need to improve our educational system..
First step is to raise the standards for our teachers, and increase their pay to make the job more competetive, assuring that the best don''t go into other fields.
Same for law enforcement.. Raise the bar, require a degree in criminology and pay them well.. Get the best we can..
Health care for everyone. Allow individuals their choice of MD''s. Preventative medicine is far cheaper than waiting for conditions to become more serious..
We need to take care of our own people first. Then worry about the pork barrel, not the other way around.. The millions in cash we sent to Iraq that was mishandled and stolen would have helped so many of our own people.
Don''t you deserve your fair share? You''ve paid the taxes and played the game, and seen your precious earnngs wasted by the polticians.
Free education
Free health care
Free child care
Everything else can be privatized.
Posted by incog-nito at 11:20 PM : Nov 28, 2007
I agree but would add free security to that list (i.e. military, police, fire, etc.). Funny how free security is "socialized", but no one really complains about it.