Monday, January 7, 2008

Prepared for College? ..... NO not really

Check the following table for High School graduates who are college ready.

These stats are from 2003 and you will see Washington State is not preparing many students for college. Our rate is among the worst in the USA.

The Table is HERE .. The following stats are from the table.

Proportion of all students who graduate with college ready transcripts by region:
North East 41%
South 41%
National Average 36%
Midwest 34%
West 29%

The four Lowest states in the USA are:
New Mexico 28%
Washington 28%
Alaska 27%
Nevada 26%

The top states in each region are:
North East = New Jersey 47%
South = West Virgina 54%
Midwest = North Dakota 39%
West = Utah 37%

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you look at family / household income of the students who are prepared,

I wonder what you'd find ... ?

The higher the income, the higher the percentage prepared?

anonf

dan dempsey said...

Anon at 6:15 PM,

This is an interesting point that you make. WA graduates 71% of high school students on time and around 75% which is about the national average. What we know is that even though our graduation rate is around the national average, the collegiate preparation in our state is abysmal.

Washington is nowhere near the bottom in family income level.
This again tells us how misdirected our schools have been during the Bergeson Administration's rule since 1996.

Anonymous said...

so, if someone has more money than most people in the state, then they can deal with the bad math and bad teaching practices forced on teachers and forced on taxpaying parents and forced on

our kids!

by the barely accountable OSPI director!


It sure seems like the research shows that what has been happening has been a failure, if you consider the facts of these dismal results to be research.

anonf

dan dempsey said...

Excellent word choice:

by the barely accountable OSPI director!

You are very kind --
seems like as far as Education leadership in this State goes at most upper administrative levels
Totally unaccountable would be more like it.

Seattle on many occasions looks to the state for guidance. Now that is a total abdication of responsibility to educate students in many cases.

As you point out its good we have some rich folks who can get their kids prepared for college. Imagine what our pathetic 28% rate would look like without them. [ Look only Alaska at 27% and Nevada at 26% are below us - dead last is looming ]

So what about the state's primary responsibility? Oh pardon me, I meant to say Paramount Duty.

Looks like the Gov. said money may be a little tight this session and in the near future.

Thomas Ahearne and "NEWS" your court date to fix the funding mess is looking too far away.

Then again with leaders like our's - We have even bigger problems.

It is the Education kakistocracy.
Those with the least ability lead us in education - starting right at the top with Terry Bergeson.

So the first fix will be Semler in place of Bergeson. Then we can at least stop massive financial waste at OSPI.

Hey who knows maybe even the legislature and the Gov. may wake up this session. After all it is a short session maybe the Gov. can have enough energy to actually look at SHB 1906 and hold Bergeson acountable for her actions?

I know, I know. Highly unlikely as Dr TB holds the distinction and title of barely accountable OSPI director!