Smart thinking on education

[unixronin]

freetrav came up with what I consider a very smart idea about how to make the US educational system (and the products thereof) competitive again.  Instead of the current navel-gazing of No Child Properly Prepared where schools are basically encouraged to teach to the standardized test and call it done, and if schools aren't meeting the standards, we lower the standards (a strategy the results of which we can all clearly see), he proposes that we treat world educational rankings as the target.  Here's his suggestion, slightly edited for clarity and continuity:

I would set the standards as follows:  Look at the world educational ranking, and require a US student to achieve at a level equivalent to the 80th percentile in the country rated #1.  Exception: for English, limit the examination to those countries where English is either official or the chief lingua franca.  For foreign languages, inspection of countries where the foreign language in question is either official or chief lingua franca.

In other words, if the South Koreans are #1 in math, a US district is deemed failing in math if the average score of its students on the South Korean measure does not come out in the 80th percentile.

I'll even go so far as to allow for 'easing in' to the higher standards - say the educational dictatorship is initiated in 2010:  In 2010, the target is 50th percentile, but rises to the 53rd percentile in 2011, 56th in 2012, and so on until it reaches the 80th in 2020.

I think he has something.

Comments

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

I admit I don't have many kind words for the educational system(s) my family has been exposed to so far.

I for one espouse greater parental responsibility and involvement. If you're not happy, don't sit there like sheep...complain! <Wife> and I are not only on a first name basis with all of <Son>'s teachers and important administrators in the school, but also with:

• the head of the district's gifted program for junior high schools,
  
• the head of the district's gifted program (her boss)
  
• the head of the district's school board (her boss), and
  
• the head of gifted education for the state's department of education

All of them are familiar with <Son>; all but the last one have met him personally. When we're not happy with something, they all hear about it. If more parents did the same, then I doubt the schools would be able to ignore everyone.

Along these lines, the parents all need to talk and work together. This is especially important within individual classrooms. I mean, it's one thing for a single parent to whine about a teacher to the principal. It's another thing entirely when parents representing 25-33% of a classroom's students go to the principal as a unified group with a set of shared complaints. That type of cooperation gets bad teachers pulled out of schools.

As for how to improve the quality of education at a wider level, I think more people need to investigate alternatives to public schools. Charter schools, homeschooling, even private schools (financial aid may be an option, if need be). Public schools receive tax money on a per-student basis (well, they do here in <State>, at least); this effectively allows parents to vote with their feet.

I admit this doesn't solve the issue of how to improve education, but it will at least draw attention to the issues. It looks really bad when schools have declining enrollment even though the school-age population in their boundaries is increasing.

Is this easy? Of course not. Does it take a bunch of time? You betcha. Are you going to face a metric assload of resistance from the schools? That's a no-brainer. Does it work?!? If you're selfish and look out solely for your particular child(ren), then yes, you can find viable solutions, as decidedly nontraditional as they might be.

(Then again, keep in mind that <Wife> and I are finding that the best preparation for college is...well, college.)