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 Multicultural America and Intelligence 
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Just reading along in The Big Test, and I found this quote worth mentioning:

"American intelligence is declining, and will proceed with an accelerating rate as the racial admixture becomes more and more extensive...These are the plain, if somewhat ugly, facts that our society shows" (p. 30, Lemann).

What do you guys think about this?

Our nation is getting more and more diverse and as we noticed, those living in poverty, and most of the immigrants coming in today, fall in that category. Our educational system struggles to serve these students and their families. So the quote is very true of today. Somehow, there does need to be an equalization in school systems nationwide. There also needs to be changes in the way we teach and accomodate the immigrant students. I honestly think (and don't get me wrong, I love my Hispanic students) that those coming in not speaking English, should be in seperate classes until they've met some kind of proficiencey level. Then they would be free to join in regular ed classes. The parents of these children also need to be accountable for learning English.
Because of these problems, I can see why American intelligence is going downhill. In China, where education seems to be at the top of its game, are immigrants, impoverished kids, or exceptional children figured into the general success rate? I believe the answer is NO!

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Emily Elkins


Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:01 pm
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It goes back to us trying to keep up with countries that still do not educate everyone. They educate the best of the best, and we try to compete with them.

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Pam


Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:00 pm
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I was having this same discussion with my student teacher last semester. She is from Germany. Early on students are segregated by ability there. Academically stronger students are put on the university track, while academically weaker students are taught skills. They do not attend school together. The achievements of the weaker students are not recognized. Only the accomplishments of the advanced students are publicized. This happens in other countries as well. We only get to hear about the superiority of their top performing students. In the US we believe in educating all to the same level. What about diversity? We are not all the same academically.


Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:27 pm
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This thought may come from my country/down-home roots, but what is wrong with some students being average? We need restaurant workers, Wal-Mart workers, farmers, and truck drivers. These people keep our country running. I like the idea of everyone in America getting an opportunity and I wouldn't want it to be any other way; I just get sick of students (and therefore their teachers) being compared with each other and score profiles. What would be a way to keep accountability for students, teachers, and schools without putting this stress into the system and causing illness in the children or resentment between colleagues?

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Stella


Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:45 pm
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You know to me it is funny that when I read the book they talked about separating everyone into classes, aristocracy and meritocracy. I thought back about when I was in high scool and took the ACT to prepare myself to go to a college in Idaho. I scored average, but not good enough according to the testing standards.

At 18, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn't serious about school. I didn't realize its importance. I spent a year at the community college in Winston-Salem and felt more like a number than a valued person with insight and ideas.

I moved to the mountains where my father had retired. Then I began a fantastic collegiate journey at a smaller, more personable community college and on to Lees-McRae where I graduated with a 3.8 from college. I worked my butt off to succeed because I understood how important education can be. The ACT and SAT had ranked me as average, but my teachers and I knew better. After undergraduate college and now a successful tenure in Graduate school, I know without reservation that those tests can not measure the abilities of man or woman.

It is all a bunch of hooey! :)

Charlotte

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Charlotte_Frye


Mon Jun 05, 2006 6:04 am
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I think that the main point that Pam was making and that perhaps Em was alluding to- was the fact that some nations do not guarantee or provide free public education to ALL members of their society. We are comparing our apples and oranges (and everything else from the produce counter) to the creme of the crop from some nations. If you are only allowed to go to school because of the assured "academic" success you will bring- you are definitely going to have an advantage over a nation like ours who prides itself on educating (or at least providing public access to) all members of our society. I would be interested in learning more about the educational systems of other countries- however I am quite sure that in many of those leading "eastern" countries, there is a definite order as to who is or is not educated.

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Jennifer Davis


Mon Jun 05, 2006 9:29 pm
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china's education system is at the top of the scale. They only educate the cream of the crop. If you aren't "qualified" for the rigorous academic standards you must find a trade to become proficient in. That also includes children who may have handicaps- not having perfect eyesight. Yes, we try to compete with them but we include all who are in school-ESL, EC children, etc. I think Germany is close to China in that respect.

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Ann Paschal


Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:11 pm
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