Biden Campaign: Biden discusses plan to improve student performance

[1corona4u]

Biden Campaign: Biden discusses plan to improve student performance
12/19/2007

“In The 21st Century, Education Has Become A Critical National Security Issue”

Fort Dodge, IA (December 19, 2007): Today at the Fort Dodge Public Library in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Sen. Joe Biden responded to new international test results showing that U.S. students lag behind their peers in other countries.

America's 15 year-olds recently ranked 25th in mathematics and 21st in science among the 30 member countries that make up the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Just 70 percent of American high school students reach graduation day. The United States now ranks 17th in the world in high-school graduation rates and 14th in college graduation rates.

"I want to make something very clear," said Sen. Biden. "It is not our students who failed these tests - it is our policies that are failing our students."

Sen. Biden called for an overhaul of No Child Left Behind and comprehensive education reform including: universal preschool, more time spent on learning, putting a well-paid effective teacher in every classroom, expanding service opportunities for middle and high school students and providing a minimum of two years of higher education for every student.

"Education is more than just math, science, and reading. Our focus on multiple choice tests has narrowed the curriculum and the ability of teachers to innovate," said Sen. Biden. "And that shows - not just in the math and science test scores - but in the basic education our students are missing: American history and training in how our government works."

Sen. Biden noted that in the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress test on civics education, only half of 8th graders were able to link religious freedom to the Bill of Rights and only half of 12th graders were able to identify the President's role in foreign policy. Only 47 percent of high school seniors have mastered a minimum level of U.S. history. Only half of U.S. high school students knew that the sentence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" is in the Declaration of Independence.


http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=113633

[youthere]

1. Joe GETS it:

"It is not our students who failed these tests - it is our policies that are failing our students."

[1corona4u]

2. Exactly...

and the scariest part of that article, for me, was the part that high school students don't know. These kids will be voting soon...

and only half of 12th graders were able to identify the President's role in foreign policy. Only 47 percent of high school seniors have mastered a minimum level of U.S. history. Only half of U.S. high school students knew that the sentence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" is in the Declaration of Independence.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

4. Sorry, most of them won't be voting soon.

Most of them won't be voting at all, most of them don't really care.

[skipos]

5. It depends on which state you are talking about.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/gov_200_ele_you_vot_tur-2004-election-youth-voter-turnout

Youth turnout is disappointing, but it isn't hopeless. Notice Iowa and New Hampshire are in the top 5? Rotating the early primary states would probably help people get more involved.

[1corona4u]

6. I think the will be this election......

[Think82]

3. kick

[gateley]

7. K&R! nt

[murbley40]

8. kick