Failure of U. S. Education System

[Physics-Learner]

in the voucher system, the state is not involved - which is part of why your area may be experiencing something different from what i have stated.

things would evolve as i stated, given the true voucher system as i have described.

all schools would be better, but the best schools would still be in the most affluent areas.

 

[Bobbywhy]

Here is the final section of a document from the National Academy Press entitled “Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education” found at:

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13099

“Final Thoughts

Kenneth Heller observed that many of the teaching strategies discussed during the workshop (e.g., case-based learning, problem-based learning, using closed-ended problems or context-rich problems) involved a common set of elements. For example, they all include cooperative group learning, connection to a real problem, and coaching—and these methods seem to be effective.

David Mogk focused on next steps. He cited a need for resources and networks that will engage more faculty in the scholarship of learning and help them become agents of change in their classes, departments, and institutions. Drawing parallels between the scientific method and education research and assessment, he encouraged workshop participants to help their colleagues engage in assessment for the betterment of STEM education and for the health of science and society.

Melvin George remarked on the dearth of discussion about the purpose of improving STEM education, stressing the need to identify a compelling sense of purpose that will generate support for reforms. He also agreed with the need to create a design manual for “hungry adopters.” He concluded by underscoring the points made by Fairweather, Dancy, and Henderson about directing more resources to understanding the factors that influence change versus continuing to study which practices are effective.

Building on George’s points, William Wood added that it is important to understand the role students play—positive and negative—in the change process. He noted that students’ facility with technology and access to information have required instructors to shift away from teaching facts (Prensky, 2001). However, in his experience, students pose barriers to reform because they often resist new pedagogies and are unfamiliar with how to learn. For this reason, in addition to educating instructors about better instruction, Wood stressed a need to educate students about how to learn.

Susan Singer commented on the fact that several people view further research on effective practices and further research on implementing change as mutually exclusive. She observed that, similar to scientific research, the process of change is iterative and requires both types of research. She also cited a need to develop a broader theoretical framework to guide STEM education research within and across disciplines, expressing the hope that this workshop series is the beginning of a conversation along those lines, rather than the end.”

Furthermore, at the same site there is for K-12 “State Assessment Systems: Exploring Best Practices and Innovations: Summary of Two Workshops”

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13013

And lastly, here is “A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas”

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165

 

[DoggerDan]

With all this talk of voucher systems, I'm curious as to what you think of this: http://www.goalac.org/

Learn at home (online), graduate early with some college credits - is this a bad thing? Since it's a charter school, it's free for the students. Well, as free as any public school in Colorado.

 

[Physics-Learner]

i don't think there is any relation to the voucher system and internet schooling.

but most college students that i have talked to, that have taken on-line courses, don't find them as effective as being in the classroom with a teacher.

 

[WhoWee]

This is a bit off topic, but I personally know quite a few adult education instructors. They have repeatedly complained that students receive federal assistance and the schools typically pressure instructors not to fail ANYONE - some have indicated their adjunct status has been threatened accordingly.

 

[Bobbywhy]

Here are two articles that may assist those who try to improve the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education here in America from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):

Are students well prepared for future challenges? Can they analyse, reason and communicate effectively? Do they have the capacity to continue learning throughout life? The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) answers these questions and more, through its surveys of 15-year-olds in the principal industrialised countries. Every three years, it assesses how far students near the end of compulsory education have acquired some of the knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society.
At: http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,2987,en_32252351_32235731_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for the United States

US President Obama has launched one of the world’s most ambitious education reform agendas. Under the heading “Race to the Top”, this agenda encourages US states to adopt internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace: recruit, develop, reward, and retain effective teachers and principals; build data systems that measure student success; and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices and turn around their lowest-performing schools.

But what does the “top” look like internationally? How have the countries at the top managed to achieve sustained high performance or to significantly improve their performance? The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) provides the world’s most extensive and rigorous set of international surveys assessing the knowledge and skills of secondary school students. This volume combines an analysis of PISA with a description of the policies and practices of those education systems that are close to the top or advancing rapidly, in order to offer insights for policy from their reform trajectories.
At: http://www.oecd.org/document/13/0,3746,en_2649_35845621_46538637_1_1_1_1,00.html
The boldface above is mine to emphasize the importance of how we can use proven methods of education policy innovation here in the USA.

 

[Physics-Learner]

This is a bit off topic, but I personally know quite a few adult education instructors. They have repeatedly complained that students receive federal assistance and the schools typically pressure instructors not to fail ANYONE - some have indicated their adjunct status has been threatened accordingly.

when i was a kid, if a parent found out that someone at the school had to discipline a child, said child got it 10 times more from the parent, when the child got home.

 

[Bobbywhy]

NCEE: U.S. reforms don’t match Korea, etc.
May 30, 2011 By Joanne

U.S. education policy should emulate the world’s top performers — Finland, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Ontario, Canada — concludes a report (pdf) by the National Center on Education and the Economy.

“The most effective way to greatly improve student performance in the United States is to figure out how the countries with top student performance are doing it, build on their achievements and then, by building on our unique strengths, figure out how to do it even better,” Marc Tucker, NCEE’s CEO, said in a statement.

At: http://www.joannejacobs.com/