[Culturechat] PISA Test

[Dianna Watson]

Do you know if home schooled and private students were included?
I, too, was a teacher for 11 years and moved on to better paying, less 
stressful employment.

The home schooled of my acquaintence have been going on to military 
academies and top-notch universities.
This "brain drain" is only going to your next-door neighbor's home!


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Virginia Knueppel" <ginik@mindspring.com>
To: "Vance Roy" <gigli.saw@dplanet.ch>; <culturechat@untours.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 10:02 AM
Subject: RE: [Culturechat] PISA Test


> Thanks, Vance, for including more information than was in the article I
> read in this morning's Atlanta Journal Constitution.  I think one key
> statement at the end of said article is the fact that in Finland teachers
> are given the same respect (and salaries!) as other professionals --
> doctors, lawyers, etc. -- and regarded by both the public and students as
> the authorities in their classrooms. As a result, graduate schools for
> educators are very difficult to get into because of the high number of
> applicants.
>
> I'm sure there are many reasons for the poor showing of the USA in this
> test, and that solutions are in the "both/and" category. But my personal
> opinion is that the current track of testing, testing, testing makes
> political rather than academic good sense. I'm a retired teacher.
>
> Thanks for all your interesting comments in culturechat.
>
> Virginia Knueppel
> ginik@mindspring.com
> Why Wait?  Move to EarthLink.
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Vance Roy <gigli.saw@dplanet.ch>
>> To: <culturechat@untours.com>
>> Date: 12/7/2004 10:06:00 AM
>> Subject: [Culturechat] PISA Test
>>
>> Perhaps some of the teachers in the chat can amplify on this test and
>> what they think of it. The PISA (Programme for International Student
>> Assessment) is a test given to between 4,500 and 10,000 15 year old
>> students in the industrialized countries of the world. The 2003 tests
>> were completed and I read the results this week in the local paper.
>>
>> Of course, the main interest here is in Switzerland's performance. I
>> found some surprises.
>>
>>   In reading, CH ranks 11th, the USA 15th, and Finnland is 1st. Russia
>> is last (29th). In the 2000 tests (they are given every three years),
>> Finnland was 1st, USA 15th, and CH was 17th. Russia was last at 29th.
>>
>> In mathematics in 2003, Finnland was 1st, CH was 7th, and the USA was
>> 25th--next to the last, Russia. In 2000, Japan was 1st, CH was 7th, and
>> the USA was 19th (five up from the bottom, Italy).
>>
>> In the natural sciences in 2003, Finnland was 1st, Ch was 9th, and the
>> USA was 19th, again five up from the bottom, Italy. In 2000, it was
>> South Korea 1st, CH 18th (6 up from the bottom, Russia), and the USA
>> was 14th.
>>
>> In the category of problem solving in 2003, South Korea was 1st, CH was
>> 8th, and the USA was 24th (one up from the bottom, Italy.
>>
>> I wonder what all this means for our next generation? India and China
>> are not in the test group, but I have a hunch by 2006 or 2009, they
>> will be up there with the Koreans and Finns.. Are all our
>> grandchildren's bosses going to be from other countries?
>>
>> Vance Roy
>> gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
>> http://homepage.mac.com/fredch
>>
>> "Never under estimate the ingenuity of the stupid."
>> Anon.
>>
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>
>
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