topic Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years in Community Chat

Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Apple Head — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:05:24 GMT

Not surprising I guess in the age of smartphones, selfies, texting and constant social media. Who has time to study or read?

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

brii — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:14:14 GMT

What was the average?

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Blahblahvampemer — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:28:36 GMT

@SF Girl wrote:
Not surprising I guess in the age of smartphones, selfies, texting and constant social media. Who has time to study or read?

There are a ton of teachers in my circle, and they'd all say that it really started over 20 years ago. Remedial courses went from being the exception to the rule, and the difficulty of courses, let alone the type of courses, has never been this worthless. Grades are raised just to push someone through the system.

When I look at the classes my mother had to take for her HS diploma vs. what I took, and what is now required, it's no wonder we're racing to the bottom. We have about the highest cost per student on the planet, and yet we stink. Goes to show that throwing money at the issue hasn't worked.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Lucky Charm — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:33:09 GMT

I heard on the (world?) news last night that more college students smoke pot than smoke cigarettes.

You'd think the high schoolers would be grappling to get to college.

(There's a reason they call it dope......)

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Anita Bourbon — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:37:14 GMT

Not sure why there's this reflexive need to funnel all kids into college. The university system doesn't suit everyone, and instead of sending kids with mediocre scores to get watered down degrees I wish we could figure out a better way to teach them something useful instead.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

blackhole99 — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 07:40:13 GMT

@Anita Bourbon wrote:
Not sure why there's this reflexive need to funnel all kids into college. The university system doesn't suit everyone, and instead of sending kids with mediocre scores to get watered down degrees I wish we could figure out a better way to teach them something useful instead.

There is, ever hear of vo-tech. Over 50% of the kids at my husbands high school signed up for vo-tech ed. this year. It's the rising cost of a 4 year degree and the fact that unless you are a professional person of some sort you will never pay the student loan off. My husband says kids have no business going to college these days unless they are majoring in math, science or the technologies. In our area teachers and nurses are a dime a dozen, but you can't find a carpenter or plumber to save your life.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

betteb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 08:58:19 GMT

@baker wrote:
@Anita Bourbon wrote:
Not sure why there's this reflexive need to funnel all kids into college. The university system doesn't suit everyone, and instead of sending kids with mediocre scores to get watered down degrees I wish we could figure out a better way to teach them something useful instead.
There is, ever hear of vo-tech. Over 50% of the kids at my husbands high school signed up for vo-tech ed. this year. It's the rising cost of a 4 year degree and the fact that unless you are a professional person of some sort you will never pay the student loan off. My husband says kids have no business going to college these days unless they are majoring in math, science or the technologies. In our area teachers and nurses are a dime a dozen, but you can't find a carpenter or plumber to save your life.
************************************************************************
There is a nursing shortage here, but I think the reason is, with the changes in healthcare, if you are not an RN/BSN (4 year degree) you can't find a job anywhere but a nursing home. The elimination of basic patient care positions (LPNs, CNAs) in hospitals has also contributed to that.

As to the plumbers, carpenters, etc, no one wants to do any type of manual labor anymore, unless it's for a high wage aircraft plant job.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Susan Louise — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 09:28:19 GMT

@betteb wrote:
@baker wrote:
@Anita Bourbon wrote:
Not sure why there's this reflexive need to funnel all kids into college. The university system doesn't suit everyone, and instead of sending kids with mediocre scores to get watered down degrees I wish we could figure out a better way to teach them something useful instead.
There is, ever hear of vo-tech. Over 50% of the kids at my husbands high school signed up for vo-tech ed. this year. It's the rising cost of a 4 year degree and the fact that unless you are a professional person of some sort you will never pay the student loan off. My husband says kids have no business going to college these days unless they are majoring in math, science or the technologies. In our area teachers and nurses are a dime a dozen, but you can't find a carpenter or plumber to save your life.
************************************************************************
There is a nursing shortage here, but I think the reason is, with the changes in healthcare, if you are not an RN/BSN (4 year degree) you can't find a job anywhere but a nursing home. The elimination of basic patient care positions (LPNs, CNAs) in hospitals has also contributed to that.

As to the plumbers, carpenters, etc, no one wants to do any type of manual labor anymore, unless it's for a high wage aircraft plant job.

@betteb Funny, I worked at a sub contractor for Pratt and Whitney as a certified heliarc welder for Pratt & Whitney for about 20 yrs in CT. When I moved to NE when I got married in 2000, and tried to get a job with my skills and excellent work history...working 2 full time jobs for nearly 20 yrs with mandatory OT to boot....the other job was at a automotive parts warehouse), my work record was worthless everywhere I went to get a job here in NE...the 'right to work state'...phooey!

They all wanted me to start at entry level pay...$6.75-$7.25 an hr. So I had to accept a near $10 an hour wage cut?...no way! No company deserved my talents and skills at such a low pay!

So I had to reinvent myself and start doing office work and then worked for the PO for awhile, and Gov office work.

Nobody I know has ever worked almost 20 yrs for nearly 100 hrs a week and lived to tell about it...

The worst part of it was finding out my resume and hard work was worthless...

Side note: I did quit college after less than 2 years before becoming a welder.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

betteb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 09:42:24 GMT

@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Susan Louise — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 14:50:58 GMT

@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.

@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!

If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 78 (which includes having to work 2 - 40 hr jobs with all the OT during the week...and even working most Saturdays) and I'll be 56 in December.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

betteb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:00:13 GMT

@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.
@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!
If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 72 and I'll be 56 in December.

****************************************************************************

I'll be 56 in October and I am in forced retirement (disability). I never worked more than 1 job at a time, but almost every job I worked had mandatory 10-15 hrs a week OT.

I have enough credits to retire, but I'm too young, so I have to do the disability. That will convert to regular SS at 62.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Burnsite — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:16:19 GMT

In most states where I have lived, all students in regular (not specialized vo-tech) high schools now take the SATs, whether or not they are college bound. A while ago, among the lowest scores were South Carolina's (I was living there at the time)--and the low score wasn't because the kids were not bright. It was because every student in every school took them, whether or not they were showing promise for higher education. All students were also required to take AP exams also. This caused the average score to be much lower than the average in surrounding states.

That is why it may be a mistake to blame students for policies that politicians and bureaucrats enact.

When I was a teen (back in the Pliocene era), my high school scheduled SAT tests only for the 40% of students who were expecting to go to college.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Susan Louise — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:16:27 GMT

@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.
@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!
If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 72 and I'll be 56 in December.

****************************************************************************
I'll be 56 in October and I am in forced retirement (disability). I never worked more than 1 job at a time, but almost every job I worked had mandatory 10-15 hrs a week OT.

I have enough credits to retire, but I'm too young, so I have to do the disability. That will convert to regular SS at 62.

@betteb I can relate to some degree. In 2004 I had my lung cancer surgery. For nearly 2 yrs I tried to keep up the pace I used to do...just not the same. I'm grateful for a wonderful DH who told me to not bother working anymore and to just stay home. So now I am a certified homemaker for us...best job in the whole world

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

betteb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:22:32 GMT

@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.
@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!
If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 72 and I'll be 56 in December.

****************************************************************************
I'll be 56 in October and I am in forced retirement (disability). I never worked more than 1 job at a time, but almost every job I worked had mandatory 10-15 hrs a week OT.

I have enough credits to retire, but I'm too young, so I have to do the disability. That will convert to regular SS at 62.
@betteb I can relate to some degree. In 2004 I had my lung cancer surgery. For nearly 2 yrs I tried to keep up the pace I used to do...just not the same. I'm grateful for a wonderful DH who told me to not bother working anymore and to just stay home. So now I am a certified homemaker for us...best job in the whole world

********************************************************************

You are very lucky to have your DH, and don't disregard the value of the homemaker. I'm alone here and my house is terrible (by my standards) but I just can not keep up like I use to.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Susan Louise — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:27:15 GMT

@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise wrote:
@betteb wrote:
@Susan Louise I reinvented myself a few times over my 30yr work history too, and everytime, it was because I could not find a suitable job in my chosen field. Employers would rather hire newbies at a low wage than hire experience at a higher cost.
@betteb Yep, talk about a bitter pill to swallow. My father's work history/resume was worth something back in the day...companies would pay for experience over newbies and they appreciated talent/skills.

Although I hate getting old, I'm glad I retired early and I'm out of the crazy workforce in 2006! Job security died as I knew it, companies push workers more and more...like trying to get blood out of a stone!
If I stretched out the hours I worked down to 40 hr weeks, I have already worked enough hours to cover me through the age of 72 and I'll be 56 in December.

****************************************************************************
I'll be 56 in October and I am in forced retirement (disability). I never worked more than 1 job at a time, but almost every job I worked had mandatory 10-15 hrs a week OT.

I have enough credits to retire, but I'm too young, so I have to do the disability. That will convert to regular SS at 62.
@betteb I can relate to some degree. In 2004 I had my lung cancer surgery. For nearly 2 yrs I tried to keep up the pace I used to do...just not the same. I'm grateful for a wonderful DH who told me to not bother working anymore and to just stay home. So now I am a certified homemaker for us...best job in the whole world
********************************************************************
You are very lucky to have your DH, and don't disregard the value of the homemaker. I'm alone here and my house is terrible (by my standards) but I just can not keep up like I use to.

@betteb Bless your heart...(((HUGS)))

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Vivian — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 11:21:26 GMT

With all the teaching-for-the-tests going on, it seems that America's children aren't learning much. When I was in graduate school a million years ago, one of the books I read included a memorable line. "Learning is painful" The context of the statement was that no matter how creative or inventive educators are, learning is hard work. It takes effort and persistence. Somewhere along the way, we decided that if learning didn't come easily, it wasn't worth the trouble. Aiming for the lowest common denominator became the standard. And to deal with the fallout of that approach, legislators threw a test at it. That doesn't work. To make matters worse, in many states teachers are not even paid a livable wage. One has to have the most devoted ideals to enter the teaching profession...and stay there. In Finland, teachers are the highest paid of all the professions. They do put their money where their mouth is. We don't.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

esmeraldagooch — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:05:32 GMT

Arne Duncan and Common core. The perfect storm.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

Say Nay — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:12:11 GMT

@Lucky Charm wrote:
I heard on the (world?) news last night that more college students smoke pot than smoke cigarettes.

You'd think the high schoolers would be grappling to get to college.

(There's a reason they call it dope......)

College students? SAT is before college.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

abbeythe 8th — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 22:05:58 GMT

I spent most of my career teaching in a prestigious school system. Guidance counselors encouraged almost all students to take SAT prep courses, and then the actual test. For some reason schools like to boast 95% of our students take SATs.

Years ago, students took different paths in high school. Only the better student chose college prep courses. Other students chose vocational or general courses.

Re: Class of 2015 Lowest SAT Scores in Years

ROMARY — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 23:47:13 GMT

A hundred years ago (lol), I passed the SAT's with flying colors. Without SAT study books/classes or college prep. Plain public schools all the way through. (Patting myself on the shoulder right now....) Edited to say that I meant that I was told that my scores were very high re: that particular university. I don't recall the number right now, but I recall being very happy and relieved at the time.