sad, Iowa ranked #30 in education

**Cycsk** · 07-11-2012, 09:06 AM

[QUOTE=bfross;2945449]I'm not sure, but I moved to Cedar Rapids several years back and I'd swear kids don't even go to school around here sometimes. I see high school kids out and about at all hours of the day. Always seems like they have in-services and "holidays" as well. I assume they have to still go the same number of days total, but I graduated in '99 and we didn't get a spring break then like they do now. There's also several bus stops on my road and I see kids that are well over the kindergarten age getting off the bus around noon like they're only going half a day or something. I don't have kids though, so I'm really not privy to the actual school system schedule around CR, but I don't get a great impression of it.

You may have found the solution. Expel Cedar Rapids from the state!

**BringBackJohnny** · 07-11-2012, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

We had a kid transfer from des moines schools to norwalk school. He was a smart kid but was so far behind norwalk he had to stay late after school to get caught up. Teacher told me he was doing 3rd grade work in 5th grade. Norwalk kids are doing 8th grade work. Meaning kids in des moines will be doing the same work in 8th grade that norwalk kids do in 5th grade. Really sad

So Norwalk kids are doing algebra and reading The Great Gatsby with full comprehension in the 5th grade. Get read bro

**acoustimac** · 07-11-2012, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by erikbj

Growing up Iowa was always in the top 3-4.........now 30???? What happened?

News Headlines

It's all about how well kids take standardized tests. It's a travesty that they use those things for any type of ranking as they don't reflect what is taught or how it is taught in the classroom.

**rholtgraves** · 07-11-2012, 09:08 AM

I don't think they are making kids go to school anymore in Iowa, and when they do go I don't think they are even getting any work to do and they don't take tests. It has really gone down hill

**cloneteach** · 07-11-2012, 09:08 AM

[quote=Cycsk;2945589][QUOTE=Bamacyclone;2945439]

Originally Posted by erikbj

Growing up Iowa was always in the top 3-4.........now 30???? What happened?

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over these type of studies. All depends on what metrics you choose to include and weighting.

The fact that we are in the middle of the pack may mean that we aren't on either extreme of what the researcher was trying to prove. And that may be good! These rankings always have an agenda with a slant related to the metrics used and the weighting.

My favorite is "spending is down (as a portion of state spending)." Actual spending may have gone up 10%, but the stats claim that "spending is down" because its proportion of total state spending on education went down 1% while spending on other areas went up 11%.

Read the fine print and you will find an agenda. Know the agenda and you can better interpret the significance of the report.

Nicely put. You must not be from Iowa. Otherwise you wouldn't have the critical thinking skills to come up with that.

**D UP Clones** · 07-11-2012, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by erikbj

Growing up Iowa was always in the top 3-4.........now 30???? What happened?

News Headlines

I didn't click on the link or read any of the other comments.

Iowa was second on the ACT last year. Nothing has changed. Iowa is regularly top three on ACT and SAT.

These extra education ratings are a flat out joke. Most of them are done to make certain states look better when they score poorly on the one real measure that matters, The ACT.

**cloneteach** · 07-11-2012, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by rholtgraves

I don't think they are making kids go to school anymore in Iowa, and when they do go I don't think they are even getting any work to do and they don't take tests. It has really gone down hill

I'm assuming you forgot the jimlad. If not, it is a thing called compulsory attendance. Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure their child is in school. If they aren't they can get into significant legal trouble.

**acoustimac** · 07-11-2012, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonespiker33

I went to school in CR a few years back. My high school was rated in the top 150 public schools in the nation along with another CR school every year. I'm guessing that the smaller schools are what bring down the ranking a little.

That's not necessarily true. Many of the small schools excel and some don't. Same can be said about DesMoines...not real stellar.

**rholtgraves** · 07-11-2012, 09:11 AM

Looking back at my high school education I hope that Iowa wasn't ranked near the top when I was going because I would be scared about what that meant for other states. High school was way too easy.

**Knownothing** · 07-11-2012, 09:12 AM

Yes my son took algebra last year in 5th grade. Not sure about the great gatsby. Did not see him read it at home. Thanks for caring bro.

**rholtgraves** · 07-11-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by cloneteach

I'm assuming you forgot the jimlad. If not, it is a thing called compulsory attendance. Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure their child is in school. If they aren't they can get into significant legal trouble.

Not in these days. These days it is illegal to make kids go to school in Iowa. Which really doesn't matter since they are only going one day a week now from what I can tell.

**benjay** · 07-11-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by acoustimac

It's all about how well kids take standardized tests. It's a travesty that they use those things for any type of ranking as they don't reflect what is taught or how it is taught in the classroom.

Could you expand on this? I'm thinking it's the best method available and certainly the easiest metric to track and compare. Standardized tests are also an indicator of intelligence.

**Cychotiic** · 07-11-2012, 09:14 AM

If you don't take AP classes, they are a complete waste of time. I took all non AP classes for one semester and got a 4.0 without ever doing any school work outside if class. They really just repeat what they taught you in middle school and add just a little more

**arganbright2** · 07-11-2012, 09:14 AM

I'll probably get blasted for this but people that graduate from Iowa colleges and universities don't want to teach here for various reasons. Some of the best teachers leave the state for better pay and opportunities to advance to become administrators. Of the group of 18-20 I graduated with that were in social studies education, I think 12 of them teach outside the state, 4 of them around Iowa and the rest don't even teach. I think this is part of the reason why the quality of education is decreasing each year in Iowa

**D UP Clones** · 07-11-2012, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Trainer

This is pretty much it. A lot of the states that were not perennial top ten states for education have asked them selves, "What do we need to do to improve?" Iowa has pretty much stagnated for some time now. I am just getting into the education field and it has been an eye opening experience.

Chuckle, yeah, Iowa's students scored second on the ACT last year. Clearly Iowa is not doing its part.

You guys need to stop listening to government officials who are trying to cut funding or push some other agenda.

The fact you are just getting into the education field may have something to do with your lack of knowledge on the subject.