The Summer Slump in Reading: An Obvious First Step
Sent to Time Magazine, August 2, 2010
Time says that "well-off American students may be falling behind their peers around the world" ("The case against summer vacation," August 2). Not so.
Studies show that American students attending well-funded schools who come from high-income families outscore students in nearly all other countries on international tests. Only our children in high poverty schools score below the international average. Our scores are mediocre because the US has the second highest percentage of children in poverty of all industrialized countries (22%, compared to Denmark's 2.5%). This
Time says that "well-off American students may be falling behind their peers around the world" ("The case against summer vacation," August 2). Not so.
Studies show that American students attending well-funded schools who come from high-income families outscore students in nearly all other countries on international tests. Only our children in high poverty schools score below the international average. Our scores are mediocre because the US has the second highest percentage of children in poverty of all industrialized countries (22%, compared to Denmark's 2.5%). This
