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Daily Archives: February 17, 2017

US students’ academic achievement still lags that of their peers in many other countries

Pew Research Center – “How do U.S. students compare with their peers around the world? Recently released data from international math and science assessments indicate that U.S. students continue to rank around the middle of the pack, and behind many other advanced industrial nations. One of the biggest cross-national tests is the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which every three years measures reading ability, math and science literacy and other key skills among 15-year-olds in dozens of developed and developing countries. The most recent PISA results, from 2015, placed the U.S. an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science. Among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sponsors the PISA initiative, the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science. Younger American students fare somewhat better on a similar cross-national assessment, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. That study, known as TIMSS, has tested students in grades four and eight every four years since 1995. In the most recent tests, from 2015, 10 countries (out of 48 total) had statistically higher average fourth-grade math scores than the U.S., while seven countries had higher average science scores. In the eighth-grade tests, seven out of 37 countries had statistically higher average math scores than the U.S., and seven had higher science scores.”

Some animal welfare data removed from USDA site is restored

Follow up to previous postings – Animal welfare information wiped from USDA website – today via The Hill – USDA reposts some animal welfare records after outcry: “The Department of Agriculture on Friday  February 17, 2017] reposted some of the animal welfare records it had removed from its website, after outcry from animal rights groups… Continue Reading

WaPo – NASA is posting climate change science info on social media that contradict views of Trump and his top officials

NASA is posting climate change science info on social media that contradict views of Trump and his top officials: “If you peruse NASA’s social media feeds dedicated to climate change, you would have no clue a new administration has taken power that has expressed doubts about the reality or seriousness of the issue. Every day, NASA has… Continue Reading

Facebook CEO pens commentary – Building Global Community

Building Global Community –  Mark Zuckerberg, February 16, 2017 – To our community, On our journey to connect the world, we often discuss products we’re building and updates on our business. Today I want to focus on the most important question of all: are we building the world we all want? History is the story… Continue Reading

Fortune – New list of the World’s Most Admired Companies

World’s Most Admired Companies – “Which companies are most respected? Some 3,800 executives, analysts, directors, and experts voted—and here are the results.” “How we conducted the most admired survey – “As we have in the past, Fortune collaborated with our partner Korn Ferry Hay Group on this survey of corporate reputations. We began with a… Continue Reading

Gallup Report: State of the American Workplace

“The State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders report highlights findings from Gallup’s ongoing study of the American workplace from 2010 through 2012. This latest report provides insights into what leaders can do to improve employee engagement and performance in their companies. It includes an overview of the trend in… Continue Reading

For election news, young people turned to some national papers more than their elders

“Younger Americans have long been less likely to read newspapers than their elders. But a Pew Research Center survey has revealed a significant twist, at least for certain newspapers with a more national focus: When we asked people if they regularly got news about the 2016 presidential election through either the print or online version… Continue Reading