American children are getting dumb and dumber under Common Core, according to the latest results from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). And according to the results of ACT standardized tests, college-bound students are doing worse than they have ever done in the examination’s history.
From the federal government, the incredible data released late last week shows that over two thirds of American children are not even reaching basic proficiency in reading. Eighth grade reading scores declined in more than three out of five states, the NAEP also revealed.
According to the federal study, also known as “America’s Report Card,” about two thirds of 8th grade students were not proficient in any core subject, including mathematics. The worst-performing students experienced the most significant decline in scores, too.
Some areas are even more horrifying than others. In the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for example, nine out of ten students could not reach basic proficiency in ANY core subject. In other words, despite spending around $20,000 per pupil per year for ten years, the children are about as ignorant as can be.
In Providence, Rhode Island, less than two out of ten children are even “proficient” in reading. In Detroit, not even 10 percent of students are proficient in reading. And the trend continues downward as Americans get dumber and dumber.
“The numbers are reason for deep concern,” said U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has been in office since the last NAEP results were released in 2017. “This country has a student achievement crisis.”
Noting that more than one third of fourth graders are considered “below basic” in reading, DeVos also let the cat out of the bag.
“Let’s be honest about what ‘below basic’ really is: they can’t read,” she said, without noting that even many who score above “below basic” are functionally illiterate, too. “And their scores are getting worse.”
“There is no excuse for any of this,” said DeVos. “America’s educators know what it takes to teach a student to read. They know students need the basics—phonics. They just aren’t given the freedom to teach it.”
Of course, part of that is true, and part of it is a bold lie. It is true that the students need phonics. And it is true that teachers are not given the freedom to teach it.
But by and large, America’s educators do not know what it takes to teach a student to read, because they were mostly taught quackery such as “whole language,” “whole word,” “guided reading,” and “balanced literacy” in college.
Perhaps more outrageous is the fact that DeVos herself bears partial responsibility for it, as she continues to insist on Common Core and its quack literacy standards that include sight-word memorization.
Adding insult to injury, DeVos went on to drop some even larger whoopers that will be addressed in an upcoming article. And she took the opportunity to promote taxpayer funding (along with the government control that will involve) for alternative forms of education, essentially declaring war on true school choice under the guise of “school choice.”
The latest data from the NAEP and the ACT are a national disgrace. They confirm once again that the public “education” system is in reality a criminal scheme that is dumbing down children and destroying America. With these numbers in mind, sensible parents must rescue their children as quickly as possible — and that means getting out!
