Reply to PARCC Scores for Grades 3-8

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "PARCC Scores for Grades 3-8"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Folks seem to be worried that "less able" kids will impede their own child's learning, or hope that higher performing kids will improve it.  That, in principle, seems to make sense.  Other smart kids should challenge my own.  Children who struggle with learning may demand more of the teacher's time and take away from my own children.

But the data for WOTP elementary schools don't seem to bear that out.  As others have pointed out, the scores of white children across most WOTP schools are the same (statistically at least, though that is hard to gauge given this is the first time the test has been administered).  Rather the differences seem entirely a result of a yawning achievement gap between white and black students and between economically advantaged and disadvantaged (to use the term provided by the test results).  Perhaps that is because AA or economically disadvantaged students in these schools are not behavioral problems.  Or perhaps as much as we think we are devoting more resources to help economically disadvantaged children, that in fact is a bit of a fantasy or woefully not enough (or for some, nothing much that schools can do), and the result leaves economically advantaged children (where WOTP white children largely fall) unaffected.

[b]One last thought, it may still be the case that being around other high performing children has some benefit.  These data are not definitive.  But I might note that being around a diverse set of children -- economically, culturally, racially, etc.. -- may also have lifelong benefits equally or of even greater importance.  Benefits that do not show up on a test, but that make for well-rounded and more understanding citizens.[/b][/quote]

These are worthy points.  We do, however, have studies to prove that lower SES children in higher SES schools (particularly if the SES percentage is 25% - 30%, and never less than 50%) perform better than their similarly disadvantaged peers, all things being equal.

It's difficult to account for/compensate for (I'm not sure the best term here) the stability that comes from safe, peaceful homes, with two married parents and high educations.  The ingredients for success have already been sown.

I really don't want my children to grow up among the thoughtlessly privileged (little snots who will become big snots).  I also don't want them to grow up among the perennially deprived and endangered (the pool of children statistically most likely to become criminals).  [/quote]

I think you're missing PP's point.  PP is not talking about lower SES children benefiting from higher SES classmates.  PP is talking about the higher SES kids benefiting from being exposed to a diverse student body and that some of these benefits may be intangible but real.[/quote]

I'm not missing PP's point.  What I'm adding to it, is that there is a threshold, beyond which these benefits become significantly less statistically observable, or even begin a downturn.  The absolute top-line is that at least 50% of students must be from mid/high SES homes.  Ideally, we'd be talking 20%, with 30% being the top-line.  The culture of performance will be established by the majority.  The bigger the majority, the easier it is to establish and then keep in place.

[/quote]

Argue your semantic intellectual data til the cows come home.  You will never convince me that my kid isn't better off in a classroom of high performers where the teacher can concentrate on teaching (and not distractions) and where the lowest common denominators don't bring the the speed and sophistication of the work down.  It simply doesn't track. Now if you tell me that I can have that and diversity, great. But there it simply doesn't pass the smell test to argue that my kid is better off surrounded by more than 50% of the kids being below grade level and not prepared to go to college because diversity is more important that academic success and the academic environment.

My kid isn't a statistical data point, and, with all due respect, I care more about my kid than I do yours, and more than I care about the needy and downtrodden in this world. I care about them too, btw, but I'm not as much as I care about my kid and their education. [/quote]

You realize that you're preaching to the choir, don't you?  Or, [i]don't[/i]you...

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics