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Possibly, a BA degree represented a higher real level of scholarly attainment 50 years ago? I’ve no doubt a high school diploma did. In some cases (like Texas and California) large influxes of non English-speaking immigrants may be skewing numbers lower than would otherwise be the case. In the case of the sunbelt, particularly Florida, the migration of boomers southward - likely better educated and more affluent ones - might be contributing to higher education numbers than would otherwise be deserved.
It’s pretty hard to interpret those raw numbers without a lot of context. Fifty years ago an accomplished student in high school would be able to diagram a sentence, use a slide rule and perhaps converse to some extent in Latin or another second language. But today’s kids understand how to use technology much better. Schools today have so much more to cover: sex & drug education, computer use, some rudimentary investment / financial instruction, and of course ”live-fire” drills, which we didn’t have to experience growing up. And those added responsibilities must detract from time devoted to the “Three Rs” as some of us remember.
@hank All true. Yet if you look at the lowest rated states--West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Nevada, Oklahoma,Indiana and Wyoming--you can see a common theme that I bet was also true 50 years ago and remains true today. And each of those states gets two U.S. Senators no matter how small their population is or how poorly educated that population is relative to the rest of the country.
Added - I think it’s accurate to say that the very best of today’s high school grads are far ahead of where I and my peers were in our high school days. It’s astounding and rewarding to see how much the top students with solid support at home and well resourced schools can accomplish - the levels of preparedness for the real world they attain. The problem, I think, is that many others “slide” through school / slip through the cracks without developing the needed skills and yet somehow graduate. Standards at the middle & lower end of the spectrum have eroded over the years.
The same states keep appearing on these lists, whether it be level of education or another economic or social measurement, and these have always been the states where I know my family and I would have never chosen to live. But I'm the kind of person who puts the quality of the local library high on my list of necessities and one who would gladly pay taxes for it.
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It’s pretty hard to interpret those raw numbers without a lot of context. Fifty years ago an accomplished student in high school would be able to diagram a sentence, use a slide rule and perhaps converse to some extent in Latin or another second language. But today’s kids understand how to use technology much better. Schools today have so much more to cover: sex & drug education, computer use, some rudimentary investment / financial instruction, and of course ”live-fire” drills, which we didn’t have to experience growing up. And those added responsibilities must detract from time devoted to the “Three Rs” as some of us remember.