Math a concern for US teens; science, reading flat on test
WASHINGTON- American students have a math problem.
The latest global snapshot of student performance shows declining math scores in the U.S. and stagnant performance in science and reading.
"We're losing ground -- a troubling prospect when, in today's knowledge-based economy, the best jobs can go anywhere in the world," said Education Secretary John B. King Jr. "Students in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Minnesota aren't just vying for great jobs along with their neighbors or across state lines, they must be competitive with peers in Finland, Germany, and Japan."
Math was a stubborn concern. "This pattern that we're seeing in math seems to be consistent with previous assessments ... everything is just going down," said Peggy Carr, acting commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics.
