The EDifierAugust 13, 2010 Unless you live in Minnesota or Massachusetts, you have no idea. That’s because they were the only U.S. states to participate in the most recent round of international assessments. Both states took part in 2007 TIMSS, which assessed the math and science skills of 4th and 8th graders from over 40 countries and jurisdictions. What both states found out is that their students stacked up favorably against students in the high performing countries in the world.
Massachusetts 4th graders outperformed their peers in math in all but two countries (Hong Kong and Singapore), including Japanese 4th graders. Minnesota 4th graders outperformed their peers in all countries but four (Hong Kong, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, & Japan). Each state also performed significantly above the U.S. average and well above the international average. These states know that they are preparing most of their students with the math skills they need to compete with students from almost any other country.
The TIMSS results came out almost two years ago, so why am I bringing this up now? Well, because the U.S. Dept of Education’s National Center for Educcation Statistics (NCES) just announced that every state will be able to make such comparisons in 2012, which is when the 2011 TIMSS results will be released. Since each state will participate in the the national NAEP assesment in 2011, the year TIMSS will be administered, NCES will be able to statistically link each state’s NAEP score to TIMSS to make it possible to compare each state’s performance to other countries.
In this day and age of a global economy, such information is vital. States need to know if they are preparing their students to compete with their peers from around the world. Currently, there is the assumption that our schools are doing a poor job of preparing their students to compete in a global economy, since the U.S. as a whole doesn’t score at the top of international assessments. However, we are a big country, divided up into 50 different state education systems and divided even further into 15,000 school districts, so looking at the U.S. average performance is just a piece of the story. Knowing how each of the 50 states compares provides an even larger and more important piece.
As Massachusett and Minnesota showed in 2007, we have states (some larger than most TIMMS countries) that can compete with the highest performing nations. Unfortuantely, we don’t know how many states or which ones. But in 2012 that will all change. We will see first-hand how each of our states compares internatioanlly and I’m sure the results will be a wake-up call for some states, while other states will see that their hard work has paid off. Knowing where states stand internationally won’t impact student achievement directly, but it is an important flashlight to find out exactly where any problems lie. – Jim Hull
For more information about these international assessments and how the U.S. performs, check out the Center’s More than a horse race: A guide to international tests of student achievement.
August 12, 2010 What does it take to get something done at work? It takes more than just knowing the solution. Qualities like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity — often called “broader competencies” by those in education — are key to succeeding in the real world.
If you think schools can’t teach things like these, or that new courses have to be developed, you’re wrong. Research is showing that an education that is both broad (in terms of subjects) and deep (in terms of understanding the underlying concepts of a subject) has all sorts of benefits, from better problem-solving to increased creativity. Read all about it in “Putting it all together,” the latest installment in our 21st century education series. –Rebecca St. Andrie
July 28, 2010 There are those who have been making the argument that the push to get more students graduate college is overdone and maybe even harmful. Although I don’t agree with these arguments, they do make some legitimate points. For example, they state that more than half of those who go onto college will earn a four-year degree within six years and that of students who graduated at the bottom of their high school classes, 80 percent will likely never get a bachelor’s or associates degree. Considering the high cost of college nowadays, those students who go onto to college but don’t earn a degree are saddled with high debt and lower job prospects.
But instead of making the argument to send our education system back a half a century, where certain students had to choose their lifelong career at the age of 15, why not argue for a greater investment in our nation’s high schools? I’m not saying that students shouldn’t have access to vocational curriculum that teaches subjects like heating, air conditioning, or auto repair, but use those courses to teach traditional college-preparation subjects like trigonometry, chemistry, and physics. These subjects not only prepare students for college but are also essential for preparing students for the 21st Century workplace, even when they enter that workplace directly after high school. By providing a rigorous high school education that prepares students for both college and the workplace, students will have the choice of which direction they feel is best for them and not have that decision made for them.
Yes, going to college is no guarantee of a better life even after earning a four-year degree. But preparing all students to do so opens more doors for more students, whether they choose to go onto college or not. – Jim Hull
June 15, 2010 It’s the classic schoolroom whine: “When are we going to use this stuff?” Well, guess what? We finally have the answer.
The answer comes through understanding a concept called “practical literacy.” For instance, being practically literate in reading and math might mean being able to understand a technical manual, for example, or adjust a recipe if unexpected guests are joining the dinner party.
It turns out that practical literacy only comes through a full, thorough knowledge of the basics of a subject. And being practically literate in basic subjects, such as reading, math, and science, is going to be crucial for everyone. No matter what they do for a living.
- Reading comprehension ranked above technology skills for every group of incoming workers. Workers with stronger literacy skills are more likely to be employed, to have higher-status jobs, and to earn significantly more.
- As workers are asked to take more responsibility for their own health care and financial planning, for example, they face a welter of confusing numerical information. Being able to understand mathematical concepts is the only way they will be able to make sound decisions about their future.
- From personal matters such as health to public issues such as climate change, today’s students will need basic scientific literacy if they are to make informed choices.
If you’d like more examples, read “When are we going to use this stuff?” part of our series on 21st century skills.–Rebecca St. Andrie
May 27, 2010 There has been a lot of debate lately about whether all students should go to college (See here, for example). The president wants the U.S. to be the leader in college degrees, while others believe some students are just not college material and should learn a trade in high school instead.
Both sides of the debate provide good arguments. Students are more likely to be successful if they go on to earn a college degree. However, there are many students who go on to very successful careers who never set foot in a college classroom. The answer for K-12 educators is much simpler: prepare all students for college and workplace and let the student decide.
As the Center found in Defining a 21st Century Education, preparing students for college and preparing students for the workplace are quite similar. So it is really a false choice between preparing students to go onto college or preparing them for a vocational career. Since students need similar knowledge and skills to be successful in college or in the trades, all students should be given a rigorous, well-rounded high school education so they can make their own choice on what they want to do after high school. They shouldn’t have that decision made fore them before they’re even allowed to drive a car. – Jim Hull
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