[Vision2020] National perception of the Palouse

[Dale Courtney]

Tom replied: 

> "We are about to go to war in Iraq and a recent test showed 
> the MAJORITY of 
> Americans could not locate Iraq on a world map.  Scary or what?"
> 
> Very scary and very true.  The same thing could be said about 
> the mid-60's and 
> a country in Southeast Asia called Vietnam.

ROTFL! You're worried about that!  

The latest release from the National Center for Education Statistics shows
that:
- Only 66% of the students could find their home state on a map of the US. 
- Only 55% could identify the Great Lakes (as distinguished on a multiple
choice test from Hudson Bay, the Great Salt Lake, and the Gulf of
California!). 

It only gets worse from there. 

Personally, I'd like to see our students able to identify the state they
live in before worrying about where Iran/Iraq/Vietnam is. 

Having said all that, they *should* know where Vietnam is by the time they
are in 4th grade!

<Off my American education rant...>

Dale Courtney
Moscow, Idaho