States are cheating on No Child Left Behind

An article in yesterday's NY Times about how academic standards vary widely between states is surely of no surprise to people who read bloggers such as Steve Sailer. To quote from the article:

Academic standards vary so drastically from state to state that a fourth grader judged proficient in reading in Mississippi or Tennessee would fall far short of that mark in Massachusetts and South Carolina, the United States Department of Education said yesterday in a report that, for the first time, measured the extent of the differences.

...

[No Child Left Behind] requires that all students be brought to proficiency by 2014 in reading and math and creates sanctions for failure. But in a bow to states’ rights it lets each state set its own standards and choose its own tests.

I've written before about No Child Left Behind and incentives. This demonstrates again the power of incentives, and the dangers of incentivizing the wrong behavior. Now that federal education money is tied to test scores, states have a strong incentive to demonstrate "progress," but such progress is more easily demonstrated by gaming the system, both through easier tests and older test takers, rather than by increasing the reading and math ability of school children.

The majority of differences between the measured ability of school children are innate biological differences and not the result of differing quality of education. And the better the overall quality of education, the more the tests measure innate biological differences, because overall higher quality education means that children are being brought closer to their innate biological ceiling.

Elsewhere in the NY Times article are some especially moronic comments from Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said in a statement, “This report offers sobering news that serious work remains to ensure that our schools are teaching students to the highest possible standards.” Still, in a conference call with reporters, she said it was up to the states, not the federal government, to raise standards. [emphasis added]

What is No Child Left Behind about if it's not about taking control of education away from the states? How can she say, with a straight face, that the biggest federalization of education since the beginning of our nation has anything to do with states' rights?

Ms. Spellings said, “It’s way too early to conclude we need to adopt national standards” and added that it is also too early to conclude that state standards are too low.

Once again, any moron can see that the only way to accurately compare states' progress (or lack thereof) is to have uniform testing standards. This requires both a uniform test as well as uniform age categories.

Comments

[Peter]

Academic standards vary so drastically from state to state that a fourth grader judged proficient in reading in Mississippi or Tennessee would fall far short of that mark in Massachusetts and South Carolina

South Carolina? I would have thought it would be in the same category as Mississippi or Tennessee, and quite unlike Massachusetts.

[Grey Swan]

Another classic technique that they use to demonstrate an improvement and a confluence of nationwide ability is test difficulty manipulation. By reducing the difficulty of a test not only will more people pass, but the percentage difference between different groups decrease.

For example, when bush administered the no child left behind policy in Texas, blacks had a passing rate of about 50 percent (the actual numbers are slightly closer together, but for ease of illustation I have adjusted them), and whites about 85 percent. After implementation about 85 percent of blacks and 97 percent of whites passed. What happened? The Z-Score difference remained the same, but Bush touted that the achievement gap had been closed.

I think we can expect similar measures from this nationwide fiasco.

[Spungen]

HS, I'm a fan of your tracks theory. But sometimes I have trouble reconciling it with your innate biological differences theory for education.

[David Alexander]

Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education.

I saw her on The Daily Show. She's hot by cabinet member standards. Way better looking than the Negro Minister of Foreign Affairs...

Once again, any moron can see that the only way to accurately compare states' progress (or lack thereof) is to have uniform testing standards. This requires both a uniform test as well as uniform age categories.

I've yet to understand why Americans seem so afraid of the idea of nationalized educational standards. It would finally allow for a proper measurement on a state by state and municipal level of academic progress and achievement by students. It's highly unfair to compare states with simplistic "basic graduation" tests to New York state's excellent (and relatively rigorous) Regents program, which IMHO, should be the model for all high school curricula. It's the closest we'll ever get to a European style baccalaureate high school exit exam.

South Carolina? I would have thought it would be in the same category as Mississippi or Tennessee, and quite unlike Massachusetts.

Peter, you'll love this fun fact from Larry Littlefield's blog...

Some low tax states such as Texas, South Carolina and Georgia may be found near the top of the table in public school spending as a share of income. Education, evidently, is one thing those states choose to spend on, and while their per student spending may be low, the average wage and cost of living in those states is also low, meaning that employment in public education is a fairly attractive proposition there, relative to New York City. Adjusted for the average wage and the cost of living, public school spending in these states is thus higher than is generally described.

In short, low cost of living allows those states to get more bang for their buck. In contrast, NY has to pay more to get the same, and in turn, most educational funding increases in NYC have gone to funding pensions and healthcare, while in the suburbs, have been used to employ non-instructional staff and funding pensions and healthcare.

But sometimes I have trouble reconciling it with your innate biological differences theory for education.

I think HS is saying even if poor and rich kids have the same high quality of education, the low IQ kids will still do worse than the high IQ kids. Eventually, that means poorer grades, lower SAT scores, and lower chance of increasing income and wealth, and a higher likelihood of crime and poor health and various other poor choices. Then people wondered why I became so depressed a few days ago in the whole "black people genocide" bit a few days ago.

[tommy]

No surprise here. NCLB is a fraud in every sense. Up in here in the Pacific Northwest, we've seen some shenanigans lately. Christine Gregoire, governor of Washington state, has delayed requiring a passing score on the mathematics section of the WASL in order to graduate for the next few years. Gregoire and her supporters in the educational establishment know very well that black and Hispanic students will fail to graduate in droves if they make it a requirement. (They will already fail in large numbers just off the verbal section, I'm sure.) I won't be surprised if they dumb the test down significantly before, if ever, a passable mathematics score becomes a requirement.

[Turambar]

I fail to see how having some standards rather than no standards is a "nationwide fiasco".

David, Rice is the type of girl you should be perusing.

[David Alexander]

David, Rice is the type of girl you should be perusing.

Remember David's rule: No dating ANY black women. Smart, intelligent, and witty are nice, but as long as she's white (or minimally light skinned Latina of proper ancestry).

[David Alexander]

I fail to see how having some standards rather than no standards is a "nationwide fiasco".

The problem as Maitre Sigma pointed out is that the current standard is to have students pass an examination, and have an increasing number of students pass, especially if they're in a "failing group" whether it be minorities or special education students. NCLB doesn't mandate what material is to be covered under an examination, nor has the Ministry of Education* specified what constitutes an exam. Thus, states and local school districts have incentives to water down exams to make it seem that there is increasing progress. As much as I'd like to see higher test scores for disadvantaged students, lowing the bar is not the means of doing so.

[DML]

Remember David's rule: No dating ANY black women.

Not that I'm a black chick, but what's wrong with black chicks?

BTW, before everyone gets too up in arms about trying to make public schools better, we may be trying to fix a system that inherently not fixable in any meaningful sense. Check out some of John Taylor Gatto's writings on the subject of the American public school system.

I'd bet some of Half Sigma's obvious frustration with how things are turning out for him despite his high achievement in the school system can probably be traced (at least in part) back to some of the issues Gatto brings up in his various works.

[Short version: Public schools are structured to teach you to be a form of cattle, not to make the most out of your life or be a happy person.]

In light of Gatto's writings and my own experience, I'm in favor of getting rid of the NCLB program and perhaps scrapping the Department of Education altogether.

[David Alexander]

Not that I'm a black chick, but what's wrong with black chicks?

They're less attractive, bitchier, meaner, and more demanding of their partners than white women.

[Turambar]

Do any of you actually have children taking EOG tests?

[DML]

They're less attractive, bitchier, meaner, and more demanding of their partners than white women.

Stop hanging around the 'hood so much. :) Is it at least possible, though perhaps unlikely, that you'll meet one who meets your standards? I guess if you find black women ugly or not sexually appealing, that's one thing. But I've met many who (I think) are sexually attractive who aren't bitchy/mean (or much more so than the average woman :) ).

[tommy]

I fail to see how having some standards rather than no standards is a "nationwide fiasco".

When "some standards" exist only to conceal the fact that there really are no standards, along with no progress, that's how.

[David Alexander]

Do any of you actually have children taking EOG tests?

I graduated HS in 2001, and my brother graduated in 2006. Mind you, we live in New York, so we have New York State Regents instead EOG tests. I was the last class to have the older easier standards developed in the 1980s, IIRC.

Stop hanging around the 'hood so much.

Dude, even the middle class black women are that way. You're only useful as a man when they're saddled with a kid from the multiple-convictions unemployed local area Negro. In my training class, there was a Jamaican college student from a middle class suburb* who was just as annoying and ghetto as the girls who grew up in the inner city.

Is it at least possible, though perhaps unlikely, that you'll meet one who meets your standards?

Maybe, and I know of one personally who's smart, witty, thinks I'm funny, and liked my photography. She's a fellow Caribbean, she's a fellow oreo. She was cute, petite, and was well apportioned. She's no longer taken, but I'm not interested in taking her right now.

The problem has always been that if you find one who isn't ghetto, you then have to find one who's remotely decent looking and not bitchy. The number of intelligent good looking black women who aren't bitchy is rather low, IMHO. Interestingly, I can tolerate chubby white girls, but not their black counterparts.

But I've met many who (I think) are sexually attractive who aren't bitchy/mean (or much more so than the average woman :) ).

I'll bet $20 that said attractive black women are thin and have "white" traits. These women are not your average black female.

If I marry a white woman, that makes my kids half-white which probably boosts them on the IQ and social integration scales. If my children marry whites, then my great-grandchildren will have a very high chance of passing for white and will be able lead mainstream lives, and maybe even marry into the upper class.

[DML]

The number of intelligent good looking black women who aren't bitchy is rather low, IMHO.

The number of any woman who fits this is rather low IMHO. (If any women posts here, please feel free to disagree). Few women are both beautiful AND intelligent. Very few.

Also the fact is, in certain circles (say...Wellesly college campus for example), there are very few black anything to choose from. So if you run across any Black women in these circles they are more likely to be as "average" as their white counterparts, not the combination of witty, beautiful, etc that you (and every guy) looks for. If one out of 10 women is Black, and one out of 20 women is beautiful, intelligent, witty, etc, then that means you'd have to meet.......40 women to find this magical combination of Black female. So yeah, the odds are against that. :)

I'll bet $20 that said attractive black women are thin and have "white" traits. These women are not your average black female.

They were "thin", yes. But I'm not sure about white traits. They had fuller figures than the average white chick, which I like...a lot. :)

If I marry a white woman, that makes my kids half-white which probably boosts them on the IQ and social integration scales.

Well, the IQ part is debatable, especially when environment is taken into account (I remember debating someone here about this in another post, but I never heard anything more from the guy when I challenged his "sources"). But yes, VERY few blacks are in an environment where they can academically thrive and its behavior more than anything else that's keeping blacks "down", IMO. Unfortunately, the behavior of most blacks (like lower class whites, Indians, etc) won't allow them to rise.

And yes, as far as social integration is concerned, there is definitely some societal racism that prevents blacks from being completely integrated. I think there are answers to this, but I don't think "squeezing the black" out of your blood is the only answer.

Not really talking about your loving of whites (you like whom you like), but your intellectualized self hate is peculiar. It's an interesting variation of the "self hating Jew". You should post on your blog a n essay called "Self Hating Negro" or something. Then you can list out all the "failings" of your race and why you're less than human for all to see! :)

[David Alexander]

The number of any woman who fits this is rather low IMHO. (If any women posts here, please feel free to disagree). Few women are both beautiful AND intelligent. Very few.

Are we conflating hot with beautiful?

I've noticed plenty of smart and beautiful women over the years in college and high school. I've had plenty of female friends who were beautiful and intelligent.

Wellesly college campus for example

I've visited the campus on several occasions, so I'm well aware of the lack of black women on campuses. IIRC, the women were okay looking, but nothing really worth writing about. OTOH, the white girls there were "too pretty", and freaked me out with their thin-waiflike bodies.

If one out of 10 women is Black, and one out of 20 women is beautiful, intelligent, witty, etc, then that means you'd have to meet.......40 women to find this magical combination of Black female. So yeah, the odds are against that. :)

Like I've said before, I've found plenty of women who meet those qualities who are white, but very few who are black. Even some of the smart black women come across as somewhat ghetto. Admittedly, I probably have stumbled upon a few good black women, but I've held out for white women because I find them better looking than.

BTW, if one out of every twenty women is beautiful, then the notion of having two women for separate functions becomes more appealing.

They were "thin", yes. But I'm not sure about white traits. They had fuller figures than the average white chick, which I like...a lot. :)

I like full-figured women, but I've found that white full-figured women are better looking than their black counterparts.

It's an interesting variation of the "self hating Jew". You should post on your blog a n essay called "Self Hating Negro" or something. Then you can list out all the "failings" of your race and why you're less than human for all to see! :)

Friends and family have stumbled upon my blog, so I have to be selective about the anti-black, self-hating things that I can state openly without facing much grief. The whole self-hating posts seemed mentally bizzare by the end of the week after finally learning that my great-grandfather was a general in the Haitian army and the former Minister of War and Interior in the early 1900s.

I think there are answers to this, but I don't think "squeezing the black" out of your blood is the only answer.

I guess there's an ideal to ensure that my offspring will have the chance to blend into the WASP classes and have some sense of power and the ability to lord over people. Yes, I aspire that my descendants have the plantation and maids that I never had and that my parents and grandparents lost. The easiest way of going about that process seems to be by bleaching out their "tainted" ancestry.

[David Alexander]

Wow, I think this is the second or third post that I've turned into some aspect of "black people are inferior". It's rather interesting to see how these recent comments have focused on black female inferiority when this blog's owner seems to find black women attractive...

[AN]

Good grief - another thread that completely drifts off topic & degenerates into an argument on black women's attractiveness. Who cares? Some people dig them, others don't. We got it. Enough already - maybe you guys can pick an old post & use the comments section as a place where people who are apparently fascinated with this topic can go talk amongst themselves, rank woman by ethnicity, whatever.

[Rob]

Robert Anton Wilson in "Ishtar Rising" says that Balinese women have the most attractive breasts.

Agree or disagree?

[DML]

Are we conflating hot with beautiful?

No, I'm mean hot, not "pretty". Trust me, I know *exactly* what you mean. "Pretty"(or beautiful as you say) is the girl that your female agrees is pretty.

"Hot" is the girl that your female companion will scratch your eyes out if you mention her attractiveness. Nothing wrong with pretty, but hot is another category.

I know plenty of "pretty" and intelligent women too. I know VERY few "hot" and intelligent women (thus my 1/20 estimate, though that may be too generous). This is the rarest of breeds.

I like full-figured women, but I've found that white full-figured women are better looking than their black counterparts.

Fair enough - you find white women more physically attractive on average. Again, you like whom you like.

I guess there's an ideal to ensure that my offspring will have the chance to blend into the WASP classes and have some sense of power and the ability to lord over people.

I can understand how someone can lust after someone else's position or status.
But it must be an odd feeling to be so jealous of someone that you wish to become them.

[Gil]

Well I don't know, but I think most people have probably heard this, but studies have confirmed that:

Men are primary attracted to a woman's looks.

Women are primarily to a man's status.

:/

[Gannon]

"have focused on black female inferiority when this blog's owner seems to find black women attractive..."

Half Sigma may want to screw a few black hoes, but that doesn't mean he would want to marry and have children with one, he is much too class concious for that. And that might be one of your biggest hurdles, DA. White women might want a black bf for a casual relationship, but very few will marry a black man, unlees he has a lot of status. Your best chances are probably with a latina (and my prediction is that white and latinos will mix relatively soon, so the future american will be a dark looking white).

[David Alexander]

Half Sigma may want to screw a few black hoes, but that doesn't mean he would want to marry and have children with one, he is much too class concious for that.

I've suspected that Maitre Sigma may only want a short term relationship with a black woman, but it is very possible that he's looking for a Beyoncé* with an Ivy League degree to marry.

BTW, did you really have to say hoes?

White women might want a black bf for a casual relationship, but very few will marry a black man, unlees he has a lot of status.

I understand that's a very big risk, but I have very little short-term relationship material. Most white women looking for the black experience tend to look for more agressive, taller, masculine types.

Your best chances are probably with a latina (and my prediction is that white and latinos will mix relatively soon, so the future american will be a dark looking white).

Shudder.

Actually, that's slowly happening in the same way that it became safe for mainstream Americans to marry Italians and Jews in the 1960. The tolerance has slowly trickled down to whitish looking Latinos and Latinas, but dark-skinned types and Mestizos males have a higher hurdle than their female counterparts.

I can understand how someone can lust after someone else's position or status.
But it must be an odd feeling to be so jealous of someone that you wish to become them.

Like I said, it's a desire to restore status and respect for my family. I think issues like this are different for immgrants who were "respectable" in their home nations than for those who left from lower classes.

I know plenty of "pretty" and intelligent women too. I know VERY few "hot" and intelligent women (thus my 1/20 estimate, though that may be too generous). This is the rarest of breeds.

That problem creates a situation where you have to determine if the trade off in either beauty or intelligence is worth it. If you only want beautiful women, but you don't enjoy being around stupid women, your choice is to either stay out of a long term relationship, only engage in short term relationships, or cheat on your smart wife with the dumb hot girl.

*Beyonce is of French Creole ancestry.

Half Sigma may want to screw a few black hoes, but that doesn't mean he would want to marry and have children with one, he is much too class concious for that. And that might be one of your biggest hurdles, DA.

Not exactly - at least in New York society, I know of a couple white male/black female marriages amongst the moneyed classes. The black women in question of course have Ivy league degrees, went to the same prep schools, come from the "right" families, and besides physically, are indistinguishable from their white female counterparts.

People would raise more eyebrows if a white man of this class married a white (or whatever other race) woman of low class who didn't have a prestigious educational pedigree - you know, just NOKD. Class trumps race a hundred times over amongst these people.

[Tim Lundeen]

Have you read Griffe du Lion's analysis of cheating?

http://www.lagriffedulion.f2s.com/gap.htm

[Spungen]

Gannon, that's unnecessarily crude and completely unfair to HS, as nothing he has written supports your accusation.

Regardless of the averages people here like to talk about, there are still many, many educated, but not elite, black women who have middle class jobs. For example, I've noticed a lot of attractive black women working in the court system and as court reporters.

[DML]

"That problem creates a situation where you have to determine if the trade off in either beauty or intelligence is worth it. If you only want beautiful women, but you don't enjoy being around stupid women, your choice is to either stay out of a long term relationship, only engage in short term relationships, or cheat on your smart wife with the dumb hot girl."

You are correct in that. And it's one of the many reasons "dating" is so tough. Guys want the full package...and frankly, so do women. Guys aren't the only ones cheating on their mates after all. This topic could be a Half Sigma post on it's on. :)

[Ganno]

"People would raise more eyebrows if a white man of this class married a white (or whatever other race) woman of low class who didn't have a prestigious educational pedigree - you know, just NOKD. Class trumps race a hundred times over amongst these people."

It's much easier to hide class than race.
Manners can be learned and status symbols bought. And just a clarification: I have no idea what Half Sigma wants to do or not. I can not speak for him, I was just speculating. But most white men will think very carefuly before marrying a black woman. I wouldn't do it, even only to spare my future children a lot of pain. A younger lower middle class white woman would be the better option.

That's a fantasy - it is very difficult to successfully "pass" for a class other than the one you were born to. I've seen many working class & middle-class people attempting to pass for a person of a higher class only to be betrayed by their words, tastes, instinctive values & reactions, mannerisms etc. Just having the status symbols isn't enough - class is about much more than that. A lower class woman would be shredded by the upper class man's social circle because it would be apparent quite quickly that she just wasn't from his world. It might be a better option in Latin America or Asia to choose race over class but here & in Europe that always isn't the case.