Percentage of middle school teachers nationwide who ranked math as the single most difficult subject for students to re-engage in when returning to the classroom, according to a survey: 67
Percentage of math teachers who say that if middle schoolers spend 15 minutes to an hour a week — which is as little as two minutes a day — thinking about math, their math skills would be sharper as they re-immerse in their school routine: 66
Source: Raytheon Co.
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Rank of Apple Computer's iPod, beer and Facebook.com as the most "in" things among undergraduate students, according to a biannual market research study: 1, 2, 3
Source: Student Monitor
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Percentage of companies that say high-quality employees are the greatest contributors to success, according to a survey of the fastest growing technology, media and telecommunications companies in North America based on revenue growth over five years: 66
Percentage that said high-quality employees were the greatest contributors to success in 2005: 25
Percentage that said high-quality employees were the greatest contributors to success in 2004: 19
Source: Deloitte & Touche — Fast 500
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Percentage of Americans who think Donald Trump, despite his billions of dollars, a gorgeous wife, dozens of skyscrapers and hit TV show, is sexy, according to Parade.com pop culture poll: 2
Source: Parade Magazine
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Value of productivity lost in the United States each year as a result of untreated mental illness: $150 billion
Value in productivity lost by U.S. employers: $44 billion
Source: National Mental Health Association
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Percentage of Americans who say parents are putting too much pressure on students, according to the Pew Global Attitudes Project: 15
Percentage of Japanese who say parents are putting too much pressure on students: 59
Percentage of Indians who say parents are putting too much pressure on students: 61
Percentage of Chinese: 63
Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press
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Percentage of CEOs and other C-level executives (CFOs, COOs, etc.) from emerging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) companies who say that in elementary school, science should be taught as the fourth "R" and given as much emphasis as reading, writing and arithmetic, according to a survey by Bayer: 81
Percentage who believe elementary school students should be learning science through hands-on inquiry-based methods that allow students to conduct experiments, form opinions and discuss and defend their conclusions with others rather than through the traditional textbook-based, rote memorization method: 82
Percentage who say it is important for their companies to support pre-college science education programs that help create the next generation of inventors, innovators and discoverers: 91
Source: International Communications Research (ICR)
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Percentage of companies that believe they can effectively detect a data breach (preventing the leakage of sensitive or confidential information to unauthorized parties), according to a survey of information security professionals: 59
Percentage that believe they cannot prevent a data breach: 63
Percentage of companies surveyed that do not believe they are effective at enforcing data security policy: 41
Source: Ponemon Institute
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Estimated number of American adults who want to return to school, according to Degrees of Opportunity, a national study of the attitudes of adult Americans toward continuing their education: 70 million
Percentage who said that the benefits of higher education are equal to or greater than the time, money and energy invested: 89
Percentage who did think additional education would help them earn more: 71
Source: Capella University
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Percentage of colleges that either require or recommend that students own a computer, according to a national survey commissioned by consumer electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc.: 60
Percentage of college students who said they "cannot live without" a computer: 72
Percentage who said they "cannot live without" a cell phone: 53
Percentage who said they "cannot live without" a TV: 21
Source: Circuit City
John MacIntyre has been writing Figuratively Speaking since 1989. You can contact him by e-mail at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.