Thursday, November 12, 2009

I'm Not Shocked at All

CUNY's got math problem: Report shows many freshmen from city HS fail at basic algebra: "More city kids are graduating from high school, but that doesn't mean they can do college math.

Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them, a CUNY report shows.

'These results are shocking,' said City College Prof. Stanley Ocken, who co-wrote the report on CUNY kids' skills. 'They show that a disturbing proportion of New York City high school graduates lack basic skills.'"

4 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

That does even begin to tell the story of their writing skills.

Seepy Benton said...

And yet, somehow, most of them will still wind up making more money than I do.

Unknown said...

Life is so unfair.

Charlieopera said...

New York City public schools (for the most part) are baby sitting services. I should never have graduated from mine (because I cut class so often) but did because I had a football scholarship. Our school had 5,000 students (4 grades); if they left behind all those who should've been left behind, in four years there would have been close to 15,000 in the same school. I suspect it starts way younger than high school in NYC and for any number of reasons. I was fortunate my old man rammed catholic school down my throat prior to high school. I hated it but it's why I could read and write when I went to college (and re-evaluated education because of a single teacher, Dave Gresham--a guy who was taught by Richard Yates and Vonnegut at Iowa's writer's workshop).

I wouldn't know where to start trying to fix the mess it's become (NYC education) but social promotion sure isn't working.