USA quietly withdraws from international study comparing math and science students.

[Richard Steele]

The United States has quietly withdrawn from an international study
comparing math and science students.

SNIP>
The study, called TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study)
Advanced 2008, measures how high-school seniors are doing in algebra,
geometry, calculus and physics with students taking similar subjects
around the globe. In the past, the American results have been shockingly poor.
In the last survey, taken in 1995, students from only two countries—
Cyprus and South Africa—scored lower than U.S. school kids.

Conspiracy theorists suggest that the U.S. government withdrew
from the study without making any announcement because it anticipated
another poor showing. “Maybe they don’t want to hear more bad news,”
says John Ewing, executive director of the American Mathematical Society.

More at link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20205125/site/newsweek/

(Personal note- I just LOVE the way anyone who questions
the reason for this is a called a "conspiracy theorist".
Getting more Fair & Balanced by the day, NBC!)

[Bonobo]

1. HAR! HAR! HAR! That was written by a journalist!?

"Conspiracy theorists suggest that the U.S. government withdrew
from the study without making any announcement because it anticipated
another poor showing. “Maybe they don’t want to hear more bad news,”
says John Ewing, executive director of the American Mathematical Society."

Who the FUCK would even write such a silly thing!

[rodeodance]

4. an Idiot? or next step down is a.........

[rodeodance]

9. our scarce resources and our overextended staff,”

Federal officials deny the charge. Mark S. Schneider, the commissioner for the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, says the decision was made after a number of other countries—Australia, Germany and Finland—also decided not to participate. That left Armenia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovenia and Sweden in the study. “We looked at the countries who are participating, our scarce resources and our overextended staff,” says Schneider, “and we decided to give it a pass.”

The test, which would have been administered to about 4,000 high-school seniors, would have cost the federal government between $3 million and $10 million, Ewing says. The National Science Foundation, which is independent but funded by the government, declined to fund the exam as well.

[rodeodance]

10. Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail.

SCHOOL


Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won't fatten the dog.
- Speech, 11/23/1900

[Richard Steele]

21. Great quote. And still just as true today.

Too bad a lot of Repubs prefer raking in major $$$
by building jails.

[MADem]

2. Yep, we don't teach this stuff, and it's bad news downstream, isn't it.... nt

[Fresh_Start]

3. No algebra or calculus or physics in the Old Testament

if God intended us to study those things, Moses would have handed down the law

[Ezlivin]

8. Don't need 'em when you measure things in cubits

You don't need to know the square root of four cubits, for instance, because a cubit is naturally square.

[Richard Steele]

25. Riiiiiight!

What's a cubit?

(EDIT- sorry, I've been fighting the urge to post that all day.
I lost the fight. :) )

[The Vinyl Ripper]

26. What's a cubit?

Reminded me of this skit by Bill Cosby..


Noah (3 skits)
by Bill Cosby

There's fella by the name of Noah
Built an ark
Everybody knows he built an ark.
You see
What Noah do? Well he built an ark
But very few people know about
The conversation that went on between the Lord and Noah
You see Noah was in his rec. room
Sewing away, he was making a few things for the home there.
He was a good carpenter

Whoompa, whoompa, whoompa, whoompa
Noah!
Somebody call?
Whoompa, whoompa, whoompa
Noah!
Who is that?
It's the Lord, Noah
Right!

Where are ja?
What you want? I've been good.
I want you to build an Ark
Right!
Whats an Ark?
Get some wood build it
300 cubits by 80 cubits by 40 cubits
Right!
Whats a cubit?
Lets see a cubit...I used to know what a cubit was
Well don't worry about that Noah
When you get that done
Go out into the world and
Collect all of the animals in the world by twos
Male and female, and put them into the ark
Right!
Who is this really?

What's going on?
How come you want me to do all these weird things?
I'm going to destory the world
Right!
Am I on Candid Camera?

How you gonna do it?
I'm gonna make it rain for a thousand days and drown 'em right out
Right!
Listen to this, you'll save water
Let it rain for 40 days and 40 nights
And wait for the sewers back up
Right!

I just wondering,
What would be the effect of an Ark on the average neighbour?
Now, here's a guy going to work, 7 o'clock in the morning
Noahs next door neighbour and he sees the Ark.
Hey!
You up there!
What you want?
What is this?
It's an Ark
Aha
You wanna get it outta my driveway?
I gotta get to work
Listen, what this thing for anyway?
I can't tell you
Hahahahaha!
Well, I mean can't you give me a little hint?
You wanna a hint?
Yes, please
How long can you tread water?
Hahahah!

[Richard Steele]

27. Right!

That's the one I was referring to. Classic!
I have it here on vinyl somewhere....

[HughBeaumont]

5. "Shockingly"???

This is what happens when you have Corporatists running the country who would rather use tax dollars to fund mercenary energy-market grabs rather than repairing schools and improving education.

This is what happens when your nation takes the word of a millennium-old novel over "lib'rul math'n science teechurs (burp)".

This is what happens when your non-progressive, non-progressing nation competes with real culture-savvy, education-favoring progressive nations who have their priorities straight, not make rich people insanely richer on the backs of the working class.

We're turning into an Idiocracy and no one fucking cares.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Maybe the problem is that kids in America don't see the correlation between

math & science and good jobs in America? It's so much easier to grow up without a conscience and join the good ole boy network that steals and cheats its way to the top, based on networking and abuse of power.

[HughBeaumont]

19. Probably because there's a mixed message there:

"PLEASE, consider taking math, science, engineering or technology as a major! We NEED more of you!", our politicians and business leaders say.

Yet at the same time, all of those entry-level jobs are being given to their cheaper offshore counterparts or inshored consultants. Many companies are setting up R & D overseas.

Where's the incentive?

All of that studying, time and monetary investment (engineering schools aren't cheap) and there's only a 50/50 chance they'll land something worth two nickels? If there's no ROI, why bother?

There needs to be more backup to the statement "hard work and education will get you FAR in life".

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. I think you've got their number.

There's other factors that we're not thinking about, I'm sure. Like the fact that those subjects are associated with geekiness, and really doesn't look appealing to young kids who want a social life.

I also don't know what the technology schools are like overseas, but here in America, if they are predominately male-oriented, campus life isn't all that it should be. Imagine how hard it is to stay focused on your schooling when all your buddies from State school are coming back with stories of their latest sexual escapades.

And lastly, one of the biggest recruiters of math and science students will be our military. Which means that they're probably looking for conservative right-wing types.

Not much in the way of inducers.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. They just don't want to show off how wildly successful "No Child Left Behind" is.

[Richard Steele]

14. Sheer MODESTY, that's what it is! nm

[tbyg52]

30. And we can't go around holding *them* accountable!

Edited for three-count 'em, three--stupid typos. I need a remedial course..... ;)

[treestar]

7. What's the name for the theory that if you don't hear about it, it's

not true?

That's the conservative way. So they can keep saying the U.S. is number one, yadda, yadda, because they went out of their way to make sure they never found out it's not?

:rofl:

[Richard Steele]

28. Family Values Theory?

I know the folks who use that phrase seem
to rely heavily on their families NOT hearing
about things, if ya knowhutImean.

[unhappycamper]

11. What's next?

Conspiracy theorists suggest the US Government's decision to drop reporting of M3 may be tied to the presses running all the time? Nevermind. They already did that.

[Richard Steele]

15. Yeah, what won't those crazy Conspiracy Theorists think up!

:silly:

[rodeodance]

12. Americans took note when Bill Gates said last spring that American schools needed to beef up science

Aug. 9, 2007 - Americans took note when Bill Gates said last spring that American schools needed to beef up science and math standards if the country was going to maintain a competitive edge in the new century. So did Congress, which last week approved legislation called the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science) Act, which carves out a whopping $43.6 billion for science education and research.

[sutz12]

22. Too bad they spent $40 billion of that money dreaming up the cool acronym. nt

[treestar]

35. They thing they can just throw money at it

The students have to be motivated and want to do it.

[jojo54]

13. Wait now. This makes sense.

This administration wants to keep us barefoot, pregnant, stupid and poor. So, why put any more thought into it?

[The Vinyl Ripper]

17. LOL..........

I was doing some decibel calculations the other day on an audio forum, trying to make a rather esoteric point. I was showing the formulae and my work.

Decibels are basically logarithmic in nature..

I had a guy criticize my math who couldn't even add or subtract negative numbers..

A product of the American school system no doubt..

[BlooInBloo]

18. I don't see why. The entire educated world knows that Americans are idiots....

... There's no news in that fact.

[Lisa]

23. hiding from the truth? How un-American can you get?!!!

Speaking as a Canadian, I find this appalling. The America I know is the America of the Library of Congress, universal public education, Silicon Valley, the space program, the new generation of atmospheric general circulation models .....

This is not you. The people who built your country had nothing to do with this kind of attitude. I want the old America back!

[LeftishBrit]

24. Odd that the US would simply withdraw from it

It's a respected mainstream research group.

[Selatius]

29. Our masters want OBEDIENT WORKERS. They want us dumb enough to accept...

the increasingly poor pay, the shrinking pensions, the failing health care, and the ever-widening gap between the masters and the wage slaves but just smart enough to work the machinery of the industrialists who own it all, the master class to our slave class.

Failing math and science scores are a symptom of an education system that has been purposefully eroded over the course of several decades.

[moondust]

31. Is there a study for TV watchin'?

How about lies, bullshit, arrogance, and manipulation?

[Richard Steele]

32. We should do one- we'd kick those other countries' asses! nm

[moondust]

33. Damn right! We're just in the wrong study!

:)

:kick:

[entanglement]

34. Calling John Ewing a "conspiracy theorist" is outrageous. I hope the AMS protests.

[Richard Steele]

36. With the B*sh misAdministration running things, there are very few "conspiracy theorists" left...

They've been replaced by "Conspiracy Remarkers-Upon",
a group consisting of everyone who can read the news and
draw logical inferences.