Sluggish Results Seen in Math Scores

The difference in test scores between whites and blacks is genetic and has only been narrowed in school districts that have widespread test fraud.

“No change in gap between white and non-white scores since 2007.”

Actually, what they mean is that the powers that be haven’t found a way to cheat in order to reflect higher scores for non-whites; however, just give them time, and something will come up and likely…eventually….be exposed as another blacks scandal where academics were giving out answers to blacks ahead of the tests or something just as sleazy.

My, my. What great problems they have trying to close the achievement gap, because they refuse to recognize it isn’t possible to change intelligence by lying that everyone is the same.

Asians,best in math scores,yet always left out of the equation.The NY Times would not intentionally omit facts to suit their agenda,or would they?

“White fourth graders, on average, scored 248, Hispanics scored 227 and blacks scored 222”.

By all appearances, whites and hispanics are much closer than whites and blacks, yet the biggest difference on the scores is the one between whites and hispanics with hispanics scoring very close to african americans.

It’s an annual ritual to rent our clothes, scream racism at anyone within ear short and wonder how institutional racism is managing to disadvantage these minority students. It would be interesting to tabulate these test scores juxtaposed with the mean IQs of the subject racial groups. I dare say there may be strong correlation between the test scores and the mean IQs but recognizing such is politically incorrect, because:
a) There is no such thing as race, only a social construct.
b) Nevertheless, all races are equal in intellectual capabilities.
c) IQ is bogus and can be neither defined nor measured.
d) In case you try to measure IQ the tests will be racially biased.
Currently, the student population is segregated between normal IQ and special education students by separating them both physically and in curriculum. That is, the two groups are socially incompatible and it is recognized that they can’t be expected to achieve the same performance with a common curriculum.
Perhaps those with intermediate measured IQ (say 78 to 92) should at least be given an opportunity to choose a non-college preparatory curriculum (once called manual subjects) and see if they can excel in accordance with their IQ expectations. Subjects would include less demanding math, reading, writing and government.
The ‘all students are of equal capability’ assumption implies that all students should perform equally and this is just grossly wrong and unreasonable!

And in other news, the sun rose in the east today…

Will this ridiculous charade ever end? Doubtful…

This country has spent hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars, trying to find a math test where blacks score as well as whites. The most common cry has been that the tests somehow are biased against blacks. Test critics aver that the language framing the math problems have cultural referents that discriminate against blacks. They suggest that a question where a cook is asked to triple the amount of a certain ingredient would stump black test-takers who do not cook, ie poor blacks.
So the test-makers squeezed as much cultural content out of the questions as possible. For example — a question asking a cook to triple the amount, 2/3 of a cup, would instead be told to multiply 2/3 times 3. Guess what? The more cultural content removed the worse the black test-takers did. Come to find out they were looking for and sometimes finding clues to the answer in the cultural content.
These differences between mean white scores and mean black scores have been immobile since first identified. As noted, we have invested a lot of treasure to “prove” the problem is the test and not the takers. How’s that working out?

If they wished, they could survey the data across decades and find the same results. By some mysterious means, white racism has resisted all attempts by black and Latino activists (and well meaning whites) to halt it. So far, Asians are the only group to overcome it. Truly inscrutable.

“they refuse to recognize it isn’t possible to change intelligence by lying that everyone is the same”.

It is possible to raise intelligence by studying. At least to raise a test. I suppose that would be ‘oppressing’ marginalized groups, asking them to study. It’s much easier to just say it’s the fault of whites, never Asians of course.

Most of you are ignorant about mathematics, almost all great mathematicians were white europeans, only a minor one was from India.

Why do you think that asians are the most brilliant in mathematics when all the best minds are white europeans?

Silk purse. Sow’s ear. Case closed.

“score gaps between white and minority students did not diminish at all”

The Government has to stop spending the tax payers money to try and level the IQ field between whites and blacks as well as Hispanics. It will not happen. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. It’s the way it is. Always has been and always will be.

If the “gap” ever does narrow, it will not be because blacks are getting better, it will be because whites are regressing. I’m willing to bet that if you took a map of low white test results and overlaid it with a demographic map, they would correlate. White students in black schools are not less intelligent than other whites, it’s that they can only learn up to the level of the best blacks in the school, then they are handicapped by all the drama going on around them, then add the violence and vandalism, then add in the fact that nobody wants to teach in black schools and you get white students who will do poorly on tests.

In Germany, they split the children up into three separate tracts after the 4th grade. They are required to take a comprehensive test at the end of the 4th grade then after that they attend the school system that best suits their intellectual abilities and aptitudes. Those with low scores end up going for a school for the trades where they also learn basic reading and writing skills and focus on general life knowledge. Those with the highest scores goto a school focused on advanced mathematics and science, while those in the middle goto a basic school system where they learn a wide array of knowledge and focus on college prep.

This type of system would be ideal for America, except that of course the Blacks and Hispanics would make up the majority in the lower tier schools. This would inevitably lead to cries of racism. This is already happening in Germany with the Turks filling up the lower schools. It’s unfortunate, because a school system like Germany’s is much more efficient than the one we have in the US. I’d imagine that Blacks and Hispanics would actually be more fulfilled learning things that are actually useful to them and be able to get out of high school with certified technical abilities that would allow them to get a productive job. Not everyone needs to goto college; not everyone is capable of going to college even if they wanted to.

“It is possible to raise intelligence by studying. At least to raise a test.”

Well, this is the sort of thing they teach at Kaplan? NOT necessarily raise your intelligence but teach good test taking skills and hints that allow you to “do better” on tests.

Sometimes those hints go a long way? On a multiple answer question, usually your first intuitive answer is the correct one, etc?

The basic intelligence of the person is the same, but they are more prepared to do well on the test, whatever that test is, by a little preparation and some coaching!

This is especially pleasing to me, as an ex-teacher in the public schools, because with all the touting of No Child Left Behind, it proves that NCLB makes no difference whatsoever!!! So all that extra paperwork, scripted lessons, and other outrageous garbage that teachers have been forced to adopt has all been a waste of time — JUST LIKE WE TOLD THEM IT WOULD!!! The fact is, parents of kids who care about their education do what it takes to home-school them; and I bet that if you compared the scores of home-schooled kids of all races with the scores of public school kids, you would see a downright embarrassing disparity, in favor of the home-schooled kids of course. It is also true that there are more white and Asian kids home-schooled than other races. My niece is a K teacher in a public school, and she arranged to work 2 days a week and homeschool her 4 boys age 8-12, and every single one of her kids is WAY ahead of his grade level; the eldest has already tested out of the public high school exit exam in English, history, everything except math. This is after they tried public school, then private school — and decided 2 years ago to simply home-school the boys. They got 2 college kids and the grandma to each do one of the 3 days Mom is at work. So it CAN BE DONE!!!

Not surprising to anyone who’s read/studied ‘The Bell Curve’ by Richard J. Herrnstein, Ph.D. Psychology, Harvard University, and Charles Murray, Ph.D. Political Science, M.I.T.

With the average white American IQ at approximately 106, and the average black American IQ at approximately 86, it’s not reasonable to assume the scores will be close.

“White eighth graders, on average, scored 293, while Hispanics scored 266 and black eighth graders scored 261.”

Does anybody but me wonder why these sleazes who give out this information never point out that blacks are behind Hispanics and Asians also?

I mean, do we EVER hear that there’s a black/Hispanic achievement gap?

Hispanic group I.Q. average is 89, which is 4 points higher than blacks at 85.

There’s not just a white/blacks achievement gap, but a black and everybody else achievement gap. Doesn’t it make you feel as if they’re trying to make whites feel responsible for low black test scores?

I have NEVER EVER read or heard anything reported about the Hispanic/black achievement gap, nor the higher Hispanic I.Q. average over blacks.

Why do they concentrate on blacks so much?

they concentrate on blacks so much because the one thing the gov really does fear is riots.

I second the test at 4th grade but MORE SO test at the end of 8th grade. If there are 5 high schools in the district make one the selected high achiever one, the next 2 for college bound, and the next 2 for trade schooling with one designated the high security school (for blacks and hispanics)

They cant argue race if it is a broad test given to everyone. No oral exams no personality no points for football. a strict test.

I third the German system. I have been a fan of it ever since I became acquainted through my German studies. There is all this complaint that kids don’t even know what they want to do then- but the Americans who make such complaints are 26, have been working on their degree since they were out of high school, and still don’t know what they want to do with their lives. I chose to go to college, but if a my government had tested me and given me structure and a career path, I would trade in an instant even if it were not college. Kids want directions. American students don’t even know how to finish a meaningless degree at a state college ontime.

This is not to mention the problem that the US lacks an effective University entrance exam (the SAT is failing) and it prevents American students from earning a degree abroad. Even Turkey has one.

I want to teach, but I also want to have kids. In my future, I see a split homeschooling/limited career settlement. Everything for posterity.

“They can’t argue race if it is a broad test given to everyone.”

Sure they can. Just look at the Ricci case.

20 Minerva: I would be cautious about adopting the German system of educational sorting. When I went to college at a fairly advanced age, I took a class from a German professor who was here on exchange. He was fascinated to have a student older than himself. I asked if it was simply forbidden at his university, and he said, No, not that he knew of, but he had never seen or even heard of an adult student.
The German system is rooted in a aristocratic tradition, that feels that if you are once a carpenter, you will always be a carpenter. I’d hate to have been forced into a career at 14, and not allowed to grow beyond it. No school administrator should have that power.