I read online recently that Hawaii 8th graders lag far behind their peers in science and math, with test scores comparable to students in Romania, Serbia, and Jordan.
The news report noted that the U.S. ranked 10th in math, well behind Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. Are Asians simply better at math? The U.S. fared similarly in science tests, as did Asian nations.
Hawaii ranked 4th from the bottom, slightly ahead of New Mexico, Alabama, and Mississippi. 8th graders in Massachusetts were tops in math scores, and tied with Japan, which was ranked 5th.
Hawaii is one of nine states ranked below the Basic level in science. That group includes Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and New Mexico.
All the states with low rankings in math and science also have large African-American or Hispanic populations except Hawaii, which, presumably, has a large percentage of students with Asian heritage.
So, why the low math and science scores?
In those countries with high test scores, math and science are important to the culture, and important elements to education and success. Math and science are not important elements of some segments of U.S. society, including Hawaii.
So, what is important?
HawaiiBlogger's Comment Policy: Keep your comment on topic, relevant, worthy, and funny. Or, pick any three. Be pleasant, helpful, and only use your real name. Comments are moderated and will not appear immediately (* required).