In 23 Advanced Economies: U.S. Adults Rank 21st in Math Skills

Very alarming here.

Americans have somehow been dumbed-down to the point where they can't seem to decipher numbers !!

Hmmm.

Perhaps that's why we can't understand the National Debt ?

Not to mention the massive debt of individuals.

The ironic part of this report is the data was collected by the Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on Friday released the initial results of an international survey of adult skills in literacy and mathematics, revealing that Americans rank 21st in “numeracy” and are tied for 15th in literacy among adults in 23 advanced economies.

American adults also scored below the average in both numeracy and literacy for all respondents in all 23 advanced economies.

Japan and Finland ranked first and second in both categories and Italy and Spain took the bottom two spots in both.

In 23 Advanced Economies: U.S. Adults Rank 21st in Math Skills


I don't think China and Russia are included....

1. Japan............................288

2. Finland..........................282

3. Flanders-Belgium........280

3. Netherlands..................280

5. Sweden........................279

Pdf document

reply to post by xuenchen


And we wonder why? All Americans do is watch tv!!!

reply to post by xuenchen


I believe it.

I'd never claim to be the brightest spoon in the shed, but I like to think I'm smarter than the average bear. And I will be the first person to say that I suck at math. That's why we invented calculators isn't it?

Well, the gov't can't do math- just look at the budget.
Why should anyone else do it?

(Insert red neck joke here.)

It's all part of the in doctorin' nation.

Well I would point out a couple things here.

1. It doesn't matter how much the average person knows math since anything beyond the basics is not generally required unless its part of the field you are in.

2. That being said, I would be interested to see how our top guys who use high level math consistently measure up against other nations top guys. That is far more telling then how well the hardware clerk down the street can figure out equations.

3. I'd say this fact was actually relevant if the top scorers on this test weren't in as bad, if not worse shape than the US is. Apparently, being good at math is not a requirement of having a successful nation.

4. The ability to find out the answer by knowing where to go is far more important than knowing how to do calculations yourself. Unless your in a position where instantaneous mathematical problems need to be solved within seconds, a person usually has time to pull out a calculator or cheat sheet or internet program.

watchitburn
reply to post by xuenchen

 

I believe it.

I'd never claim to be the brightest spoon in the shed, but I like to think I'm smarter than the average bear. And I will be the first person to say that I suck at math. That's why we invented calculators isn't it?

" " That's why we invented calculators isn't it? " "

The question now becomes whether or not people have the skills and abilities to use a calculator.

reply to post by Spookybelle


Well your last point agrees with the Common Core agenda because they're going to start giving students partial credit for getting the wrong answer but being able to adequately explain the process they used to arrive at it.

Don't worry, Common Core will fix it!!

/sarcasm

If you have kids in elementary school (or any grade) and you live in one of the 46 states that have implemented Common Core, you can witness first hand how they're dumbing our kids down even further.

I have twins in the fourth grade and they just started Common Core math this year. I cannot help them with their math homework. Their father and I have to set up a conference with their teachers so as their parents, we can go through the same training as their teachers did in order to teach it. The methods and algorithms they're teaching for basic elementary math are so off the wall, it's like trying to read Greek when you only know how to read English.

I don't get why they're changing something that works just fine for something so redundant and confusing.

reply to post by xuenchen


I think it's good. It shows individualism and the freedom to not give a shhh about math.

The higher we push academic standards, the more we impose on one another.

If you don't care about math, good. If you do care, well, that's good too, as long as you don't try to force others to adhere to your standards.

reply to post by CoherentlyConfused


You are not inspiring confidence. My husband and I are torn between home or private schooling based around classical education using the trivium. If the private school we are currently looking at has to go Common Core, I guess we'll have to find a way to go home school. There is no way my son doesn't learn logic as part of his schooling. Higher order reasoning skills are too rare these days and I know Common Core doesn't want anyone to learn those.

Well, the gov't can't do math- just look at the budget.
Why should anyone else do it?

reply to post by abecedarian


LOL, you have that right!

Again these will be skewed by population size. Thats why you never see China, Russia or India in these things.

If a politicians neck is four inches long....and a lobbyist's neck is 3.5 inches long...and the average American has his neck 1/2 foot deep in the sand.

How long until "we're borrowing 60 billion a day" actually destroys the dollar?

(Word problems get em every time.)

Spookybelle
Well I would point out a couple things here.

1. It doesn't matter how much the average person knows math since anything beyond the basics is not generally required unless its part of the field you are in.

2. That being said, I would be interested to see how our top guys who use high level math consistently measure up against other nations top guys. That is far more telling then how well the hardware clerk down the street can figure out equations.

3. I'd say this fact was actually relevant if the top scorers on this test weren't in as bad, if not worse shape than the US is. Apparently, being good at math is not a requirement of having a successful nation.

4. The ability to find out the answer by knowing where to go is far more important than knowing how to do calculations yourself. Unless your in a position where instantaneous mathematical problems need to be solved within seconds, a person usually has time to pull out a calculator or cheat sheet or internet program.

I disagree with your points to be honest.

1) I agree that most higher mathemathics - calculus, differential equations etc - does not have much everyday use - you do not need to find derivatives and solve integrals in everyday life. But you have to look at the larger picture - the thinking skills you gain from learning complicated math - you might not need to find the derivative of e^x^3*sin(x)/cotan(x), but I would everybody needs to think analytically often, solve problems, reason. Far too many people in the society lack basic skills of such - there is way too much impulsive decisions without thinking or analysing the situtation. There was a study recently, where math majors beat every other major, including law schools students in LSATs.

In that sense I would compare complicated math in real life situations as some seemingly useless visible-result skills, which benefits a lot if learnt, for example juggling. You might never need the skill in real life, although learning it improves coordination, motor skills, eye-hand movement, visual-spatial thinking, focusing and there have even been studies proving it makes people smarter (changes in gray matter). I doubt any of these skills is waste of time to improve and might become very useful in real life situtation.

2) If you consider %, let us say top 10%, I would say US does worse than most other nations, although the difference is far smaller. If you take the top 10k or even 100k US would beat every other nation due to its size.

3) In long run, math, not only math, but overally being educated is a requirement for any nation to be strong in long term. Looking at the current situation in US (remember the dumbing down has especially happened in recent decades), the amount of personal debt, extreme consumerism, all that plays part in long-term decline, unless changes happen soon. When automation gets to service industry, times might become tough.

4) Look at first point. Most real life problems do not require calculations (although it might be good in some cases) but you also need to understand what you are calculating or which problem you are solving. Creating a mental algorithm for solving a problem, whether its financial or some other kid. LSATs do not require any actual calculations, yet math/physics majors get the highest scores.

reply to post by Emerys


If those children chose to play guitar, it would be delightful.

Knowing the truth, however, spoils it.

www.youtube.com...

Considering that there are hundreds of countries in the world 23 is pretty good. Sure other countries can rank as high as they like in mathematics. Mathematics skills per individual does not equal common sense intelligence. If anything who ever invented the idea that people who study/make Law, manage finance? Lol

reply to post by ketsuko

From what I'm understanding, although I don't know for absolute sure, private schools and even home schooling won't be an escape. The testing will all be centered around Common Core everywhere. I don't know how true that is and I don't know if it's that way yet, but that's what I've read in a few places that's the way it will end up being. I don't see how they can force that on a private institution, though.

At this point, I have decided to home school them as soon as they reach middle school in 2 years. I can make up for some of the stuff at home now (since we were unable to help our daughter with her division problems the other night, we taught her basic long division and wrote a note) but at least when I'm home schooling, I can prepare them for whatever tests they have to take, but still teach them what they should be learning and try not to confuse them in the meantime.

And when I say that we couldn't help her with her homework it's because we had absolutely NO idea what method her teacher was wanting. When two grown, educated adults can't help their 9-year-old children with their 4th grade math homework, there's a problem.

Dumbing down at its finest. How are kids supposed to feel confident and excel when their parents don't even understand the material?

What do you expect? How many people out there are making a living that needs a lot of math, but doesn't have a machine to do it for them? Cashiers only push buttons, accounting people use spreadsheets etc. I am still good at geometry and the basic maths, simply because I use them all the time making a living in construction. If I didn't use them, they would be forgotten, just like advanced algebra was and such. I was really good at math, scored a 98 on the NY regents exam 10th graders took when I was in 8th grade.

You don't need math to flip burgers or make tacos.

Seriously thuogh, I am pretty good at math and it blows me away how many peopl need their phone to do simple addition and subtraction.

Thats alright though. When the time comes people will be counting the amount of people ahead of them in the unemployment line. Or how much money is left on the EBT card.

badgerprints
If a politicians neck is four inches long....and a lobbyist's neck is 3.5 inches long...and the average American has his neck 1/2 foot deep in the sand.

How long until "we're borrowing 60 billion a day" actually destroys the dollar?

(Word problems get em every time.)

edit on 20-10-2013 by badgerprints because: (no reason given)

That depends on the height of the debt ceiling and the ratios between the distance of the floor to the balls and boots