Posted on 08/22/2012 8:47:23 AM PDT by Zakeet
Almost a third of Illinois' high school Class of 2012 scored too low on the ACT college-entrance exam to be considered ready for key college classes, according to data released Wednesday.
Despite some improvements, the results were troubling to some educators, while others considered the information a flawed method for judging how well students will fare if they go to college.
[Snip]
Former state schools Superintendent Glenn "Max" McGee, now president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, is troubled by the low college-readiness figures, particularly in science and math. Only 30 percent of Illinois' 2012 graduates met ACTs college-ready score of 24 in science, the lowest of all subject areas tested. Nationwide, the figure was 31 percent.
"We are so focused on meeting minimal standards and teaching what I call school science versus real science, that we are doing our students by and large a disservice. We are not creating the conditions where they can succeed in science exploration," McGee said.
He is critical of what he considers "low-level" questions on state exams in Illinois, such as "name the parts of a microscope," or asking students "about reading a table but not about the science in the table."
The danger is that students will lose out on science and technology jobs of the future if they don't acquire a deeper knowledge and understanding of science and math, McGee said.
Overall, Illinois students, as well as students around the country, scored best in English, followed by reading, math and science. The new data also show continued gaps in performance between white and minority students. In Illinois, for example, only 7 percent of black students met the college-ready standard in science. That compares with 41 percent of white students.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Not college ready, but are they democrat party/welfare ready?
What else counts?
HA!
Neither are 80% of IL politicians!
If this is 30% of all students then who cares? Since when should all graduating high school students attend college? Most colleges have watered down their reputations to bring in more students for their money.
If colleges actually educated their students those same students would realize they were “had” and lynch the college administration.
The comments on this thread are extremely disappointing. The failure of America’s education system is a major scandal and is already impacting our economy and potentially our national defense. And most Freepers are just as OK with that as is the teachers union.
Let’s see. My guess is that if you add up the Chicago school system and East St. Louis that probably gets you to the 31%.
All high school juniors in Illinois, not just those intending to go to college, take the ACT as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam.
Hell, I'm surprised the figure was that high!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Will County to declare independence from Cook County Democrats
The Will County Republican Party, Tea Party activists, elected Will County leaders, and concerned citizens say they will be rallying at the Will County Courthouse September 10, 2012 to protest “the Balkanization of Will County citizens by Cook County Democrats.”
Will County Republican Chairman Ed Ronkowski said, “With redistricting, the Chicago Machine has sliced Will County into six pieces, half of which belong to Chicago Democrats. Will County Democrats stood by silently and allowed this to happen, essentially turning Will County into “Will Colony.” On September 10th, we will declare our independence.”
Republicans in Will County are staging an active campaign to elect a conservative Republican for county chairman along with county officials and county board members. The area Tea Party movement is promoting conservative policies in the county by working within the Republican Party.
More to come ...
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2012/08/will-county-1.html
Ha! Fight the Combine!
The wife got a job in Midland and the house in Homer Glen has been sold (loss :-p ).
We will be bona fide residents of Tejas by EOSept! Gonna buy me a revolver right away. Sayonara Ill-annoy!
I’ll be changing my FR page by EOYear.
ps: Sure don't blame you though. I'd be in Montana or Wyoming pdq if I could. (can't take the Texas heat)
They should also get back to basics and bring back those 'dumb shop classes' like Wood Shop, Print Shop, Electric Shop, Auto Shop, and Mechanical Drawing (Drafting) - now called CAD. And also those 'evil, segregated', Technical Schools that were all boys.
Some of Chicago's finest Mechanical Engineers came out of the North side's 'Lane Tech' (the B@$tards also had a kick@ss football team). And every Engineering Dept in Chi was filled with Draftsman who took 'Drafting' as a Major in the Chicago High Schools or was from a 'Tech School'. And some of them went on to become 'Practical Engineers' by good old fashioned 'OJT' and book reading on their own time.
Chicago also had all boys Tilden Tech east of the Stockyards (Johnny 'Red' Kerr, an Alum) and CVS on the far south side which produced Dick Butkus and a gazillion other football players (I'm sure many in Tech Trades too).
Granted I'm a dinosaur and when I was a SR we had an option on the day ACT (or SAT?) was taken. Take the U.S. Air Force test instead. Oh, there wasn't any Teacher Union I'm aware of either then, and I had great teachers who taught us how to learn. (1)
(1) Which I took advantage of my entire career, learn one new thing each day.
Great!
Wish I could do that.
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