And I had to choose them over video games!
"More nations pass US in reading skills; American scores flat since 2001" by Nancy Zuckerbrod/Associated Press November 29, 2007
WASHINGTON - US fourth-graders have lost ground in reading ability compared with children around the world, according to results of a global reading test.
Test results released yesterday showed that US students, who took the test last year, scored about the same as they did in 2001, the last time the test was given - despite an increased emphasis on reading under the No Child Left Behind law.
The 2002 No Child Left Behind law requires schools to test students annually in reading and math, and imposes sanctions on schools that miss testing goals.
On the latest international exam, US students posted a lower average score than students in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy, and Sweden, along with the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.
Last time, Russia, Hong Kong, and Singapore were behind the United States.
Hong Kong and Singapore have taken steps since then, such as increasing teacher preparation, providing more tutoring, and raising public awareness about the importance of reading, said Ina Mullis, codirector of the International Study Center.
Among jurisdictions that took the test in 2001 and 2006, scores improved in Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia.
Average test scores declined in England, Lithuania, Morocco, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden. England, the Netherlands, and Sweden were the top three performers in 2001."
So our kids are getting dumber, and the world is getting smarter!
Put down the Wii and quit smokin' the weed, stoo-pid stinkshits!
And get ready to be drafted!
