Ohio: Mississippi of the North?

Opinion: Illiteracy in U.S. spells trouble
ROSE RUSSELL in the Toledo Blade

THOSE who watch what's happening in the education system have plenty to worry about.

As Ohio high school students take the new Ohio Graduation Test this week and next, some worry that the results will reduce already low high school graduation rates. Eventually, of course, students will overcome that hurdle, just as they did the state proficiency tests.

But there's plenty to keep observers concerned. The issues range from U.S. students' average or low performance in science and math compared with their international peers to their inability to perform basic reading, writing, and math on jobs after high school graduation or to meet the demands of freshman-level college courses.

While the finger-pointing may never stop, there is enough blame to go around. Meanwhile, I worry about literacy among today's students...