Understanding The Educational Gap Between Nevada and Wisconsin

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Understanding the Educational Gap Between Nevada and Wisconsin

Statistics is defined as “the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and numerical facts or data” (Dictionary.com,2012). Sometimes it is important to analyze statistical data in order to understand how something works or doesn’t work. In the case of American public education, there is tons of statistical data being thrown around, but what do all of these numbers really mean? How does this data help us? Although statistics provide clarity for constant scrutiny to the public education school system, they also help us to understand what were doing wrong in the classroom. In comparison of two different states, Nevada and Wisconsin lay at two very different ends of the educational spectrum. To properly understand how Wisconsin is far more successful in terms of academic achievement than Nevada, it will be helpful to compare and analyze what contributing factors effect both states in terms of their educational reputations.

Every state in the United States has different standards and expectations for public education. For example, some states require an exit exam in high school whereas others do not. One reasoning for this is because of test scores. Explained in an article titled “High School Exit Exams: Issues to Consider,” is that some states have a high number of students that are failing the exams, and so they either lower the standards or remove the test in order to raise the graduation rate at the end of the year (GreatSchools staff, n.d., p. 2). Setting lower standards is causing major problems for the United States as a whole because it reflects poorly on the nation’s report card. In the case of Nevada and Wisconsin, both states differ f...

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Richmond, E. (2012). Some teachers moving to nevada struggle with licensing process. Retrieved from http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jul/18/qualified-teach-not- nevada/

Ripley, A. (2010, December). The atlantic magazine. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/12/your-child-left- behind/8310/

Schug, M., & Niederjohn, S. (2011). Teacher licensure in wisconsin: Who is protected- parents or the education establishment? Retrieved from http://heartland.org/policy-documents/teacher-licensure-wisconsin-who-protected- parents-or-education-establishment

U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from Census website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/

U.S. Census Bureau (2010). Retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0308.pdf

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