Massachusetts eighth-graders outperformed most countries on a highly regarded international math and science exam, according to results being released Tuesday, offering fresh evidence that the state’s educational system rivals academically powerful nations around the globe.
In the science part of the test, only Singapore outscored Massachusetts eighth-graders. In math, Massachusetts trailed only South Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Japan; 63 countries took the test.
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And we're almost 100% "Blue" too!
But this doesn't make sense. We've been hearing about the demise of America's schools for so long that this cannot be right. Unless all those studies pushed by angry anti-Union zealots were a fraud...hmmm, me thinks I smell a decades long conspiracy compounded by journalistic laziness. Next your going to tell me that today's students actually "DO know much about history."
Ooops. I said "your" instead of "you're". Further evidence that the schools still stink.
The teachers had nothing to do with this...they are only the problem! Also their union is a problem! This is something to celebrate, but DOE and Mayors of towns will never really recognize teachers as professionals and pay them accordingly while stopping these new and evermore onerous evaluation methods in their neverending quest to rid the system of "bad" teachers. There are bad teachers out there but it is up to the school's administration to fire them...not make the entire state's body of good teachers suffer the few bad ones!
Congratulations to our hard working students, their parents, and our teachers. They are the seeds of our future and with these results it looks very bright. I am proud to live in a state that values education and understands the kind of investment we need to continue to remain one of the most prosperous states that will continue to make our living space more than livable.
Will there be bonuses for the teachers this bonus season? Imagine what a CEO would give himself with these results!
I suppose the teachers unions are the reason MA did not ":beat" Singapore. Bring out the canes!
In a country of over 300 million people, is testing 5000-10,000 students statistically significant?
Or when in some countries they are told to do well for the honor of their nation, while students in other countries (U.S.) just want to get it over and done with and go home.
It just does not really give us a lot of real data when so few take the test or when, in some countries, only the specially chosen are given the test.
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We have a long way to go re; education here in Massachusetts. Even Deval Patrick knows this, but as usal he has found this positive item and will take credit for it even though the credit belongs to those who teach our students.
In related news, Boston Globe trolls rank near the bottom in logic and near the top in blind hatred of teacher's unions and the Governor.
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Could Massachusetts"schools have done so well because they have a higher proportion of Asian students than most states?
No. We rank 10th in Asian population.
http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/all-states/asian-population-percentage#chart
If i'm reading the 2011 version of this report (which is the only one I could find on the tester's website) correctly, many wealthy European countries (Denmark, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Holland, Spain, etc.) did not participate in at the 8th grade Math portion of the test. Was this true for 2012 as well? If so, would that reduce the impact of the finding? http://timss.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_M_AppendixA.pdf
On behalf of middle school science educators across this state, you're welcome!