st. paul

The article was supposed to be about how well the students of MN performed. Instead, it bashed the education system. One thing that the all knowing Pawlenty should release is that for students to learn their basic needs must be met. But, that is the first to be cut by this genius. Next, even ELL students are required to take these standards test. With the influx of immigrants I am impressed that our students perform so well. I am not bashing immigrants. But, it is hard to compete when you are playing catch up. Finally, Pawlenty take the standards tests yourself and see how well you do before you start spouting off.

I thought our schools needed more money and longer school years because we were falling behind the rest of the world? You're telling me the facts don't back that up?

Students learn when their personal needs are met: food, housing, emotional support, sleep. That's why schools in wealthier areas do better than schools in urban areas...not because of money. However, money must be available to local agencies to help those needs be met. I am proud of MN's performance. MN and MA are traditionally two of the top states in test scores, so it makes sense that independently they do well against the world. The TIMSS has been around forever, so that tells me that the teachers here are doing something RIGHT! Now if only the state would figure out that they're micromanaging the MCAs (redoing standards and tests every two years) and making it more difficult for us to do what we need to, we'd get somewhere.

and cut tax dole to education by 50% this year to help reduce the Minnesota budget defecit.

If we are okay with cutting teachers, fine arts and electives, and some sports, then we should decrease the spending that is already there. Schools are already operating under the assumption that there will be a 0% increase and these things ARE happening. It is not a threat. I doubt tests scores will increase with such things going on...

In general, American students compare well with other students from around the world in the early grades and then fall further behind as they progress through the grades. I wonder how Minnesota 12th graders compare?

I guess the NCLB law had no impact? As you can see, it was a more rigorous curriculum in both math and science that has improved MN education standings, including testing. So much for the naysayers and those that want to dumb down the curriculum so that everyone can feel better about themselves. We need higher expectations and higher achievement. There are other countries in the world that do just that--and they will be leading the world in engineering, software development and technology development in this century. Right now, they are laying the foundations. World domination will not be by force, rather by economic power, and SE Asia is poised to be that power house.

This has NOTHING to do with No Child Left Behind. That is a separate testing structure and the tests and standards under NCLB are determined by individual states. Where NCLB goes wrong is the method by which it expects individual schools to improve, continually raising the bar until they fail to meet it. It ultimately sets all public schools up to fail. What I'd ask about this article is why it's not more prominently featured? This is great news and shows that our schools and our students are working well for the most part in math and science in the early grades. Too often we hear about failing public schools and articles like these show that is simply not true in most cases.

I would have to agree with butle030. Why is this not more prominently displayed? I heard about it this afternoon and came to the Strib to see the whole story. I figured it for sure would be a featured, headline....no it is buried. However, when the state test results were announced in August that was the TOP article. I guess good news does not sell so well. By the way about those state test results. Ever stop to think that Minnesota has higher standards? How else do you explain that on an INTERNATIONAL test our students are in the top 5, yet on a state test only 4 of 10 pass? So, it is reasonable to assume the countries below us on TIMMS would only have 2 or 3 of 10 students passing?