Simply go to "The Effect of Urban Flight on IQ Distribution"; This can be found on La Griffie du Lion; that Web site is HERE
The average IQ in our big cities is now 85. This is the cutting score for graduating from the usual HS. This means that one half of inner city children cannot graduate from the usual HS without enormous desire and tutoring.
All the rest of the explanations are simply a form of denial for the real problem. President George Bush is no exception; however, I sense he realizes the problem is doing his best to come to terms with low intelligence in our educational system.
Irrational egalitarian belief that we are all equal in ability as well as in the eyes of God and the Constitution has literally destroyed the chances of many children to make some or good use of the abilities they have. No child left behind is a slogan and not a biological finding. Trying to mold children with limited academic powers into whiz kids seldom works and, then, only for a few. The rest are left discouraged and bitter.
This is why we need to have vocational programs for many of our youth so they can learn skills which can lead to gainful employment and become contributing members of society.
OK - put down the bong and back away slooowly...
Fact: you can successfully teach Down’s Syndrome children to read and do basic arithmetic. IQ under 85 ? Yes.
Fact: in the United States over 40% of the population is functionally illiterate. Average IQ: 100
Fact: many kids “graduating” high school today are barely performing at 8th grade levels. Those who don’t graduate ? Worse, obviously.
IMO it has very little to do with intelligence and everything to do with curriculum and the quality of the teachers in 1st thru 4th grades.
If you have ever taught 5-6 year old children, all kids, even the kids with low IQs are eager, excited, and bursting to learn. By the end of 1st grade, the combination of incompetent teachers using useless curriculum puts these kids on a fast track to illiteracy.
Give every kid a competent teacher and a phonics curriculum, and you’d be back to 97% literacy in every class the first year.