Associated Press reporter Nancy Zuckerbrod excitedly reports that 42 percent of 12th graders scored at least proficient on the economics section of the National Assessment of Economic Progress.
Thats 42 percent. Thats proficient.
Proficient should be the norm.
Saying the test results another way, 58 percent of 12th graders are not proficient in economics.
Interestingly, Zuckerbrod reports that 12th graders who took Advanced Placement or honors economics courses in high school scored better than those who did not. But, those 12th graders who took only a general economics course did no better than those who took no economics courses at all.
To restate that last point, an utter lack of formal economics education at the high school level makes no difference at all in economics test scores.
Since 12th graders are either 18 years old or nearly so, and, thus, either at or nearing the age to be eligible to vote, isnt it comforting to learn that 58 percent of the new voters coming aboard arent proficient in economics? Maybe the cumulative effect of years of economic illiteracy helps explain why politicians are so proficient at selling to voters policies that defy rational economic analysis.