Study Cites Dire Economic Impact of Poor Schools
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin in News, Private Schools, Research
by Javier C. Hernandez (April 22, 2009)
The economic recession may be the least of our worries. Increasing educational disparity throughout the nation may be the larger problem. Education (or the lack thereof) is directly tied to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The future of our nation depends on educational reform. What are the recent findings?
“The study, conducted by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., pointed to bleak disparities in test scores on four fronts: between black and Hispanic children and white children; between poor and wealthy students; between Americans and students abroad; and between students of similar backgrounds educated in different parts of the country.
“The report concluded that if those achievement gaps were closed, the yearly gross domestic productof the United States would be trillions of dollars higher, or $3 billion to $5 billion more per day.
“Nationally, the gap in test performance between white and Hispanic students grows by 41 percent from Grade 4 through 12, and between white and black students it grows 22 percent, the report said. Students educated in different regions also showed marked variation in test performance, despite having similar demographic backgrounds. In Texas, for instance, schools are given about $1,000 less per student than California schools, but Texas children are on average one to two years of learning ahead of their counterparts in California.
The disparity of education in the United States of America is indeed daunting. We must continue to work hard – harder than ever. However, we cannot give in to pessimism.
Together, we must seek out new and innovative ways to address the nation’s many challenges. Diversity should and can be synonomous with opportunity and achievement.
It is the opinion of UEC that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all model, and certainly our traditional public education system does many things right. However, we must continue to seek new models of education, such as charter schools, vouchers, performance pay, and professional pathways so that children throughout the nation have the same opportunities as their counterparts in wealthier areas of the nation.
What do you think?
Read the entire article here.