Bill Gates Says American Public High Schools Are Broken
On March 7, 2007, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, explained in a congressional hearing what is wrong with American public high schools. Select quotes from that testimony follow:
"A top priority must be to reverse our dismal high school graduation rates."
"America’s greatest educational shortcoming today is what for much of our history was its greatest pride: our public schools."
"all of the evidence indicates that our high schools are no longer a path to opportunity and success, but a barrier to both."
"Our current expectations for what our students should learn in school were set fifty years ago to meet the needs of an economy based on manufacturing and agriculture."
"while most students enter high school wanting to succeed, too many end up bored, unchallenged and disengaged from the high school curriculum"
"For those who graduate, many lack the skills they need to attend college or to find a job that can support a family. Until we transform the American high school for the 21st century, we will continue limiting the lives of millions of Americans each year."
"America has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the industrialized world."
"Eight states do not set any math course requirements."
"If high standards encourage young people to make the most of their talents, then low standards discourage them from doing so – and right now, that is our predominant policy."
"Currently, states use a variety of different methods for calculating graduation rates."
"By 12th grade, U.S. students score near the bottom of all industrialized nations."
"Too many students enter college without the basics needed to major in science and engineering."
"We can no longer rely on foreign students to ensure that America has enough scientists and engineers to satisfy the demands of an expanding economy."
"only 13 percent of American adults are proficient in the knowledge and skills needed to search, comprehend and use information, or to perform computational tasks."
"A top priority must be to reverse our dismal high school graduation rates."
"America’s greatest educational shortcoming today is what for much of our history was its greatest pride: our public schools."
"all of the evidence indicates that our high schools are no longer a path to opportunity and success, but a barrier to both."
"Our current expectations for what our students should learn in school were set fifty years ago to meet the needs of an economy based on manufacturing and agriculture."
"while most students enter high school wanting to succeed, too many end up bored, unchallenged and disengaged from the high school curriculum"
"For those who graduate, many lack the skills they need to attend college or to find a job that can support a family. Until we transform the American high school for the 21st century, we will continue limiting the lives of millions of Americans each year."
"America has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the industrialized world."
"Eight states do not set any math course requirements."
"If high standards encourage young people to make the most of their talents, then low standards discourage them from doing so – and right now, that is our predominant policy."
"Currently, states use a variety of different methods for calculating graduation rates."
"By 12th grade, U.S. students score near the bottom of all industrialized nations."
"Too many students enter college without the basics needed to major in science and engineering."
"We can no longer rely on foreign students to ensure that America has enough scientists and engineers to satisfy the demands of an expanding economy."
"only 13 percent of American adults are proficient in the knowledge and skills needed to search, comprehend and use information, or to perform computational tasks."
Labels: bill gates
posted by founder at 1:07 PM
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