Archive for 'Private Schools'
Study Cites Dire Economic Impact of Poor Schools
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
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.
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Senior Projects Encourage Insight Via Sustained Effort
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
by Jay Mathews (April 27, 2009)
Senior theses/projects are quite rare in public education. But should they be? Is the bar so low that anyone can graduate with minimal effort? Or would such requirements doom many of the nation’s students to certain failure? Should it be done anyway?
“Private schools have been doing this for years. . . . Such enterprises add depth to high school — a chance for each student to explore something that intrigues him or her personally. . . . Why should just private schools, and a few exceptional public schools . . . be encouraging insight through sustained effort? This relates to another of my pet peeves: the reluctance of American public high schools to assign even one research paper of significant length and complexity before students graduate.”
It is the opinion of UEC that every community is different and should make decisions regarding such graduation requirements, not based on what works for other schools but based on needs in the particular community.
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School Recess Cutbacks Overstated, Report Says
Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by Admin.
by Dani McClain (9/11/08)
We all remember the thrill of recess when we were kids. With ever-increasing federal guidelines and requirements, many schools are cutting back and even eliminating recess. But is that really a wise move?
“The report summarized recent data from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics and drew the following conclusions:
• 14% of elementary schools with an enrollment of at least half students of color schedule no recess for first-graders, compared with 2% of schools with less than 6% minority enrollment.
• 18% of elementary schools where more than three-fourths of the student body receives a reduced-price lunch have no recess for first-graders, compared with 4% of schools where less than half the student body comes from impoverished families.
• 14% of urban elementary schools schedule no recess for first-graders, compared with 6% of suburban schools and 3% of rural schools.”
According to the data, recess may actually help encourage student achievement.
That said, we all know that there is no universal “one size fits all” model, method, or approach that works all of the time in education. It’s unfortunate that certain types of students (i.e., minority, poor, and urban students) miss out on recess more often than their counterparts in more affluent parts of the nation. That trend should change.
It is the opinion of UEC that recess plays an important part in children’s development at school. Although it should be used reasonably and responsibly, the data suggests that school leaders should reevaluate and support recess in school.
That said, all decisions should be made based on local factors and conditions. But, generally speaking, recess needs to remain an important part of our nation’s education system.
Read the article here.
What do you think?