Educational Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Educational Excellence - Essay Example The area of improvement encompasses mathematics. The data was compared between those who were born in 1983 and those born in 1997. When 20 students of the 4th grade born in 1983 were examined for proficiency in reading and writing, only 6 were found to be proficient while 20 students born in 1997, when examined for similar proficiency 7 students were found to be proficient in reading. The area showed less improvement (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). When 1983 born 4th class students were observed for proficiency in mathematics, only 4 were found to be proficient. Students born in 1997, when examined for proficiency in mathematics 8 out of 20 were found to be proficient in mathematics. Indicating that proficiency in mathematics increased two-fold. On close observation it is observed that 20 children born in 1983, entered school in 1988, of these 20, 14 graduates on time in 2001, of these 14, 10 started college but by 2007 only 5 could earn their degrees (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). California has shown very poor improvement when compared to other states of United States. According to 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), California stands seventh lowest in 8th grade mathematics when compared with other states of USA. When their competitive spirit was calculated, California was at the bottom quarter. The students of 8th grade when compared for their reading skills they were the third lowest and just above the Hawaii and Columbia. The Californian students were poor in science they stand second lowest and just above the Mississippi. Indicating the education excellence could not meet the perfection in California (States vs. Countries in Math). According to the NY Times, Massachusetts shows maximum of 51% of mathematics proficiency, as compared to California which has 24 percent of proficiency in mathematics when students from eighth-grade were compared between various states and different