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For years, American students have consistently ranked poorly compared to most developed nations. And according to a recently released study, the U.S. education system remains mediocre, receiving a C− grade, for the third year in a row.

The K-12 Achievement Index, one indicator in Education Week’s recently released “Quality Counts” report, measures key education outcomes and provides ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states with the best and worst scores for K-12 achievement.

Yahoo Homes is publishing the states with the bottom 10 scores in K-12 achievement here. Click on the slideshow above to see them. To see the full report, including the states with the highest scores and the study methodology, go to 247WallSt.com:

Top 10

1. Massachusetts
2. Maryland
3. New Jersey
4. New Hampshire
5. Vermont
6. Minnesota
7. Florida
8. Pennsylvania
9. Washington
10. Colorado

Bottom 10

1. Mississippi
2. Louisiana
3. New Mexico
4. West Virginia
5. Alabama
6. Alaska
7. South Carolina
8. South Dakota
9. Michigan
10. Oklahoma

ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices.

They ranked the schools based upon how much money they received, not the education level of student. Had to be prepared by teacher's unions, liberals actually fall for it :lol:

You don't need kindergarten. Much less pre-K.

Like every Irish kid, I learned to read perfectly well by the time I was 22. Okay, 32.

Eliminate tenure, institute merit based pay, test the teachers. In short, do what the private schools already do. Then watch the teachers union howl with rage at having to actually educate instead of indoctrinate kids and turn them into good little socialists.

Just last night, the local station had on an academic trivia contest with 2 local high school teams.

They had algebra and geometry questions -- the stuff we all took but few used. But what was surprising was the kids had absolutely no idea what nations fought in WW I. They were great on pop culture questions like who sang what song.

RealJustme wrote:

ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices.

They ranked the schools based upon how much money they received, not the education level of student. Had to be prepared by teacher's unions, liberals actually fall for it :lol:

^^^Another joker who can't read a simple article^^^

If you actually even bothered to read the article the metric was based upon test scoring not expenditures per student. And I'll paste the link because you are probably too lazy to look it up...

http://247wallst.com/special-report/201 ... hools-2/2/

johnforbes wrote: They had algebra and geometry questions -- the stuff we all took but few used.

I knew it all along...

:roll:

Name a time you used your hs algebra, geometry, or trig.

johnforbes wrote:Name a time you used your hs algebra, geometry, or trig.

I can teach HS algebra if I wanted to. But it's not challenging...

LOL

That wasn't the question, kiddo.

Name the times you used algebra, trig, or geom.

About the best anybody can do, with such subjects, is to claim they train the mind, show discipline, enable abstract thought.

Whitehead noted that the paradox of math is that ultimate abstraction can pave the way to something tangible, in the way math/physics permitted the chain reaction of fissioning nuclei underneath the converted squash court at the U of Chicago, for instance.

"Name the times you used algebra, trig, or geom.
About the best anybody can do, with such subjects, is to claim they train the mind, show discipline, enable abstract thought."-johnforbes

Here's a couple minor examples of what I did with algebra , geometry, and analytic geometry, you clueless bastard.
This is the lower flight of of the first stacked elliptical stairs I built over 20 years ago. Unlike with circular stairs, no two treads are alike and they don't fan on simple radii. Simple stuff compared to later jobs.
This one was done largely with geometry and algebra alone.
Some later elliptical stairs were done with analytic geometry because I didn't have space to draw hard copy layouts of everything. The equation for the circumference of an ellipse is hugely helpful in such cases.


Here's another stair I built with a circular upper portion and non-concentric ellipses on the lower half.
Can't do it without geometry and algebra, and can't do it as easily without analytic geometry.


Circulars, spirals, winders, French curves, even the simple dog legs or "U" stairs, and especially wreathed handrails on free form stairs;
back then I was using the stuff virtually every day in one way or another.

Many times I've needed to construct perpendiculars to a line, wall, or other surface.
Knowing how to use a 3-4-5 triangle can be the simplest and most accurate method for a regular home owner.
Bisecting a random angle with a compass and straight edge has come up many times in my life.
Same with laying out octagons, hexagons, etc. for various remodel projects.

The idiots who say it's not good for anything practical are only admitting that they don't have the brains or imagination to appreciate the very practical power of mathematics. (I'm talking about you, johnny boy) They probably couldn't build a doghouse either.
You might want to hire structural and aeronautical engineers who know a little about it as well, you arrogant dunce.