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ByKimberlyHefling The Associated Press WASHINGTON In an abys- mal showing, only about one- quarter of U.S. high school seniors performed solidly in math in a major assessment known as the nation's report card, reinforcing concerns that large numbers of stu- dents are unprepared for ei- thercollegeortheworkplace. In reading, almost 4 in 10 students reached the "profi- cient" level or higher. In both subjects on the 2013 exam there was little change from 2009, when the National Assessment of Ed- ucational Progress was last given to 12th-graders. The results, released Wednes- day, come from a representa- tive sample of 92,000 public and private school students. The stagnation is "unac- ceptable,"saidDavidDriscoll, chairman of the National As- sessment Governing Board, whichsetspolicyfortheexam. "Achievement at this very critical point in a stu- dent's life must be improved to ensure success after high school," Driscoll said. The results follow the just-released and seemingly more encouraging research that U.S. high school gradu- ation rates in 2012 reached 80 percent, a record. John Easton, acting com- missioner of the Education's Department's National Cen- ter for Education Statistics, said one possible reason was that lower-performing stu- dents who in the past would have dropped out remained in the sampling of students who took the exam. In reading, the 38 percent share of students perform- ing at or above proficient was lower than when the as- sessment was first given in 1992, when it was 40 percent. Scores have remained simi- lar since 1994. The student participants' response to a survey about their educational experi- ences offers some clues to their performance. Among the findings: • Students who reported rarely or never discussing reading interpretations in class had average scores lower than those who did daily or almost daily. • An majority reported thatreadingisenjoyable.Stu- dentswhostronglydisagreed with the idea that reading is enjoyable had an average score much lower than those who strongly agreed. EDUCATION Report:4in1012th-gradersproficientreaders Even fewer pass basic math assessment By Michelle Faul The Associated Press LAGOS,NIGERIA Islamicmil- itants who have triggered in- ternational outrage over the kidnapping of more than 270 Nigerian schoolgirls opened fire on a busy marketplace, killing hundreds of people in anewspasmofviolenceinthe country's northeast. The attack escalates Ni- geria's growing crisis from a campaign of bombings, massacres and abductions being waged by the Boko Haram terrorist network in its campaign to impose an Is- lamic state on Africa's most populous nation. As many as 300 people were killed in the assault late Monday on the town of Gamboru Ngala on Nigeria's border with Cameroon. The extremists opened fire on a marketplace bustling with shoppers taking advantage of the cooler nighttime tem- peratures in the semi-des- ert region, then rampaged through the town for 12 hours, setting houses ablaze and shooting those who tried to escape. The attack and hundreds of casualties were confirmed by Borno state information commissioner Mohammed Bulama, who spoke to The Associated Press by tele- phone Wednesday. Nigerian federal Sena- tor Ahmed Zannah blamed fighters of the Boko Haram terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the April 15 kidnapping of 276 teenage girls from their boarding school in Chibok, in northeastern Borno state. The insurgents threatened to sell the young women into slavery in a video seen by AP. Outrage over the miss- ing girls and the govern- ment's failure to rescue them brought angry Nigerian pro- testers into the streets this week in an embarrassment for the government of Pres- ident Goodluck Jonathan, who had hoped to showcase the country's emergence as Africa's largest economy as it hosted the Africa meeting of the World Economic Fo- rum. Offers of international assistance have poured in, with the Obama adminis- tration announcing Tues- day it was sending person- nel and equipment to help Nigerian security forces in their search for the girls in the vast Sambisa Forest. EXTREMISM Is la mi c mi li ta nt a tt ac k kills hundreds in Nigeria Gr ou p t ie d t o k id na pp in g o f 2 76 t ee na ge g ir ls c la im s r es po ns ib il it y f or r am pa ge ASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE This image, from a video posted by Boko Haram sympathizers, shows the leader of the radical Islamist sect Imam Abubakar Shekau. By Bernard Condon The Associated Press NEW YORK Nancy Strum- wasser, a high school teacher from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, always thought she'd have two chil- dren. But the layoffs that swept over the U.S. econ- omy around the time her son was born six years ago helped change her mind. Though she and her hus- band, a market researcher, managed to keep their jobs, she fears they won't be so fortunate next time. "After we had a kid in 2009, I thought, 'This is not happening again,'" says Strumwasser, 41, adding, "I never really felt comfort- able about jobs, how solid they can be." The financial crisis that followed the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008 did more than wipe out billions in wealth and millions of jobs. It also sent birth rates tum- bling around the world as couples found themselves too short of money or too fearful about their finances to have children. Six years later, birth rates haven't bounced back. For those who fear an overcrowded planet, this is good news. For the econ- omy, not so good. Wetendtothinkeconomic growth comes from work- ing harder and smarter. But economists attribute up to a thirdofittomorepeoplejoin- ing the workforce each year than leaving it. The result is moreproducing,earningand spending. Now this secret fuel of the economy, rarely miss- ing and little noticed, is run- ning out. "For the first time since World War II, we're no lon- ger getting a tailwind," says Russ Koesterich, chief in- vestment strategist at BlackRock, the world's larg- est money manager. "You're going to create fewer jobs. ... All else equal, wage growth will be slower." Births are falling in China, Japan, the United States, Germany, Italy and nearly all other European countries. Studies have shown births drop when unemployment rises, such as during the Great Depres- sion of the 1930s. Birth rates have fallen the most in some regions that were hardest hit by the financial crisis. In the United States, three-quarters of people surveyedbyGalluplast year said the main reason cou- ples weren't having more childrenwasalackofmoney or fear of the economy. RECESSION Economic fears lower birth rate By Peter Leonard The Associated Press DONETSK, UKRAINE Rus- sian President Vladimir Putin softened his tone in the confrontation with the West on Wednesday, declar- ing that Russia has pulled its troops away from the Ukrainian border and call- ing for a delay of Sunday's referendum on autonomy in Ukraine's restive east. But there were no imme- diate signs that either move was truly happening or that they would cool the Ukrai- nian crisis. NATO and Wash- ington said they saw no in- dication of a Russian pull- back, and the pro-Russia insurgents behind the refer- endum have not agreed to go along with Putin's proposal. In a Moscow meeting with Swiss President Didier Bur- khalter, Putin said Russian troops have been pulled back to their training grounds and locations for "regular exercises," but he did not specify whether those loca- tions were in areas near its border with Ukraine. A Russian Defense Min- istry spokesman declined to say where the troops were now positioned. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. had "no evidence" of a pull- back, and NATO chief An- dersFoghRasmussentoldre- porters that the alliance had "not seen any sign that Rus- siaiswithdrawingitstroops." Putin also reiterated Rus- sia's demand that Ukraine's military halt all operations against the pro-Russia activ- ists who have seized govern- ment buildings and police stations in at least a dozen towns in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainelaunchedanoffen- sivelatelastweektotakeback thebuildingsandtownsunder insurgent control. At least 34 people,includingmanyrebels, havediedinthatoffensive,the government said. Many had feared that Sun- day's vote would be a flash- point for further violence be- tween the rebels and Ukrai- nian troops. Insurgents were callingtheballotavoteongiv- ing regions more autonomy, but Kiev authorities feared it couldbeapretextforseparat- ists or those who want the re- gion to join Russia. Russia annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March after res- idents there held a vote and overwhelmingly backed se- cession. "We believe that the most important thing is to cre- ate direct, full-fledged dia- logue between the Kiev au- thorities and representa- tives of southeast Ukraine," Putin said. "Because of this, we ask that representatives of southeast Ukraine, sup- porters of federalization in the country, postpone the May 11 referendum in order to create the necessary con- ditions for such a dialogue." A spokesman for the militant group in eastern Ukraine that calls itself the Donetsk People's Repub- lic was quoted by Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency as saying the group would dis- cuss Putin's proposal on Thursday. However, it is unclear how much influence Moscow has with the insurgents. The Kiev government and West- ern countries allege Russia is fomenting the unrest, but Russia denies it has agents there. Last month, after Rus- sia, Ukraine, the U.S. and the European Union reached a pact calling for Ukrainian militantstodisarm,theinsur- gentsintheeastflatlyrejected it,sayingRussiahadnotnego- tiated on their behalf. Many Donetsk residents appear eager to go ahead with the vote. "That Putin's personal opinion. He's a very wise man, but we have decided to do things our own way: to be- come the Donetsk Republic," said Ludmila Radchenko, 52, standing in a city square. If the insurgents go ahead with the referendum, it could bolster Moscow's insistence that it is not directing the un- rest. But it could also anger Western countries and in- crease the pressure for more sanctions against Russia. The referendum has been hastily arranged, with bal- lot papers being churned out by two clattering photocopy machines. There's been neg- ligible campaigning for it, mostly consisting of graffiti. Many sidewalks have been spray-painted from stencils showing the word "referen- dum" next to a crossed-out swastika, reflecting the in- surgents' contention that the government that took power in Kiev in February is fascist. UKRAINE Putin: Troops have pulled back from border By Kristen Wyatt The Associated Press DENVER Colorado lawmak- ers approved the first finan- cial system for the mari- juana industry Wednesday, a network of uninsured co- operatives designed to give pot businesses a way to ac- cess basic banking services. The plan seeks to move the marijuana industry away from its cash-only roots. Banks routinely reject pot businesses for even basic services such as checking accounts because they fear running afoul of federal law, which considers marijuana and its proceeds illegal. The result: Pot shop own- ers deal in large amounts of cash, which makes them targets for criminals. Or they try to find ways around the problem, like drenching their proceeds in air fresh- ener to remove the stink of marijuana. Colorado became the first state to allow recreational pot sales, which started Jan. 1. Washington state will fol- low suit, with retail sales ex- pect to start in July. The U.S. Treasury De- partment said in February that banks could serve the marijuana industry under certain conditions. With the industry emerging from the underground, states want to track marijuana sales and collect taxes. It's a lot eas- ier to do that when the busi- nesses have bank accounts. But most banks have shrugged at the Treasury guidelines, calling them too onerous to accept mar- ijuana-related clients. The result is a marijuana indus- try that still relies largely on cash, a safety risk for opera- tors and a concern for Colo- rado's pot regulators. ThebillapprovedWednes- day would allow marijuana businesses to pool money in cooperative s, but the co- ops would on take effect if the U.S. Federal Reserve agrees to allow them to do things like accept credit cards or checks. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper supports the potbankplanandisexpected to sign it into law, though a spokesman said Wednesday the governor had yet to re- view the final language. Lawmakers from both parties supported the bank- ing co-ops as a way to prop- erly audit marijuana shops and to make sure they're paying all their taxes. Dis- pensary owners came to the Capitol this session to tell of their difficulties paying taxes and utilities in cash and the dangers of dealing in cash. "It is very easy to see somebody get killed over this issue," Marijuana Industry Group Director Michael El- liott testified last month. The plan had bipartisan support, though some Re- publicans said that the effort won't pass federal muster. A few banks are accepting marijuana clients in light of the federal regulations. Colorado pot shop owners say a small number of credit unions will do business with them, too, though no banks or credit unions have said so publicly. MARIJUANA Colo. lawmakers approve plan for pot banking Access to basic services will help cash-based industry Lack of money means choosing smaller families Go Painlessly ® with THERA-GESIC. Go Painlessly Go Painlessly Maximum strength Maximum strength Maximum strength Maximu analgesic creme for analgesic creme for analgesic creme for analgesic temporary relief from: temporary relief from: temporary relief from: tempor • Jointand Muscle soreness • Arthritis • Back aches THG-13903 The Daily News will feature a special section of photos and write-ups on over 75 "Students of Distinction" from middle and high schools across the county. This project has been created in cooperation with the Tehama County Department of Education. Selections of students featured will be made by schools and Teachers. The supplement will be published as a special section of the newspaper and as a digital page-turn online edition on www.redbluffdailynews.com through May of 2015! To sponsor a student's photo and accomplishments is just $59 for 1 sponsorship and $55 each for multiples. Local businesses, professionals, educators, local citizens: All are welcome to support Tehama County's most accomplished students, and demonstrate support of local education in the process. Sponsor Deadline: Friday, May 23 Sponsors will be identified in a 3" tall by 1 column wide space at the bottom of each student salute. This special will appear in the full run of the Daily News on Thursday, May 29, 2014 Daily News advertising representatatives can help you decide what to say. Limited opportunity to support students from individual schools. For further information, contact your Daily News advertising representative or Nadine Souza at Honoring Outstanding Tehama County Students (530) 527-2151 advertise@ redbluffdailynews.com THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B