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One of the interesting things they're saying in this article is that you can tell from test scores when a given kindergarten teacher is very effective, in that
by JangoSteve 16y ago
One of the interesting things they're saying in this article is that you can tell from test scores when a given kindergarten teacher is very effective, in that their class will perform well above the average (or at least improve at a rate well above the average improvement). However, then in junior high to high school, those test scores then fall back in-line with the average. But then after that, when the class of people enter adulthood, the difference resurfaces in the form of higher wages. That seems to beg the question, are good junior high teachers less effective than good kindergarten teachers (or even effective at all)? We need more data!
- derefr 16y agoPerhaps the material taught/tested in high school just isn't correlated as highly with success in the workplace as a good early-childhood education is.
- jbooth 16y agoOr maybe the lessons that are most important in high school aren't measured effectively on the test. They could be intangibles that are untestable, or the tests could just be flawed. Of the middle/HS teachers I know, those in nice school districts regard tests as a pain and a distraction, but the ones from poor school districts hate them. Apparently the way the tests are written, your typical black or ESL city-dweller could understand the material extremely well but the questions are very much in white suburban english, and reference cultural context that they're unlikely to understand. Add in a little intimidation and mistrust, and you've got test results that are basically irrelevant to whether the kids know the material.