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Math Skills Survey Shows U.S. Lags Behind

Posted by michael on from the 'rithmetic dept.

3l1za writes "The New York Times reports that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has released its results (pdf) for a test of mathematical skills given to 15 year olds in 40 different countries. A few apparent anomalies: The US kids rated 28th of 40 (so in the bottom third) while the Czech Republic, which spends in education 1/3 of what the US spends, ranked in the top 10. Further, only about 1/3 of US kids reported that they did not feel as though they were good at math, whereas about 2/3 of Koreans reported this--and the Koreans ranked in the top three. 'Mr. Schleicher said that students in countries that emphasized theorems and rote learning tended not to do as well as those that emphasized the more practical aspects of mathematics.'"

8 of 1,528 comments (clear)

  1. Could you display results in a USA Today graph? by geoffrobinson · · Score: 5, Funny

    All those numbers in the post are hurting my head.

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    Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
  2. Barbie said it best by cephyn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Math is hard.

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    Moo.
    1. Re:Barbie said it best by Pxtl · · Score: 5, Funny

      Einstein sent this reply, along with a page full of diagrams, to a 15-year-old girl who had written for help on a homework assignment: "Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics; I can assure you that mine are much greater."

      My wife's studying to be a math teacher - she loves that one.

  3. With Bush in office its no surprise by fanboy19 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Rarely is the question asked, "Is our children learned"."

  4. Re:Statistically invalid samples by Orgazmus · · Score: 5, Funny

    You didn't win? They MUST have cheated!

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    The system had the verbosity of HTML combined with all the readability of compiled assembly viewed as bitmap images
  5. Don't worry about it. by 2names · · Score: 5, Funny
    How can we possibly trust a statistical study that was conducted by Americans anyway?

    *ducks*

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    "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
  6. Holy shit, they're right by computational+super · · Score: 5, Funny
    change chanting "2 times 2 equals 4"

    Damn, dude - you should know by know that it's two plus two that equals four... no wonder we're behind in math, with this sort of disinformation wandering the internet...

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    Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    1. Re:Holy shit, they're right by UserGoogol · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pfft. I don't know what sort of half-baked school you went to, but I learned that 2^2 = 4

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      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor