You're correct; those statistics can be interpreted many ways. You can read more detail here: http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-stories...ools_score.html

Considering though that Alabama has the second lowest graduation rate in the country, their overall academic performance may not be "uniform" with the rest of the country. I suppose you could say maybe Alabama has extraordinarily high graduation standards, a point I don't care to try and refute. Statistics can be taken however you'd like.

This quote from the state superintendent doesn't really make it sound like the role model for the US academic system though:
"And we're only talking about the students who take the test," said state school Superintendent Joe Morton. "A lot of them who can't read just drop out and never even sit for this test."

 

Ya with the tsunami of illegal immigrants from mexico battering our country, we could be New New Mexico in 2012, thats the prophecy they speak of!

IMO we really should have a 2nd language taught at an early age, I think USA and Mexico are the ones who speak only 1 language.

 

Unless you fit the minority bundle, then you usually get free admission to even medical college. Wouldnt believe how many doctors I have worked with that dont speak a fugin word of english.

 

Amen to that. People who speak two or more languages, or maybe understand a little of a second language, have an advantage over people who stubbornly stick to an outdated "English-only" policy. I do believe in learning English if you live in the US, however some people in the English-only movement oppose foreign language requirements in schools. Most people in the world, including what we think as "third world", speak more than one language. I guess people like self-repression?

This reminds me of a time when I was getting a blood test. The guy giving taking my blood was a Latino. I remembered a co-worker of his spoke in Spanish to him and he replied in English. I said it was OK if he spoke Spanish because I was learning and needed to hear it as much as I could. He told me the he didn't believe in speaking Spanish and he wasn't teaching his kids to speak it either and there was nothing "good" to speaking Spanish in America. I didn't say anything at the time, but I thought to myself if I was going to hire someone with equal credentials except one spoke two languages who do you think I'd hire?

 

All I know is im sick and tired of people that live in AMERICA that cannot speak english and ill stop there!

 

I think we should keep reducing funding to our public schools - in fact, since anything the government does is bad, we should get rid of public schools once and for all. I mean, compulsory education is like forcing health insurance on everyone - if I don't need it, why should I pay for it?

/sarcasm

I see our nation going down towards the path of a 3rd world country: growing group of ignorant, selfish, close-minded, bitter citizens who're blind to politicians with one liners who blames all their ills on the government, the bankers, and everyone else they can point a finger to.

Better start learning Chinese folks, because they'll be buying our daughters in the near future.

 

But I guess you are OK with people who cannot punctuate or capitalize correctly.

 

^ exactly this forum is not a writing test and furthermore this is my thread