3 ms·

The problem is that a country's technological advancement is not usually based on the mean performance of everyone, or the equity of the population in general a

The problem is that a country's technological advancement is not usually based on the mean performance of everyone, or the equity of the population in general achieving a minimum level. A country's advancement is based largely on the outstanding rockstars / top performers and their innovation. I'm afraid this is trading off wanting to help students who are low achieving, at the expense of the highest performers getting to achieve their potential. Of course the step that SFUSD took led to fewer students retaking the class later. You make a class easier / later, and of course everyone will pass more successfully. But did it measure how many students were held back from higher achievement? Of course not, there is no good way to quantify that. China and India, who let far fewer aspects of equality, racial/group concerns, privacy and self-esteem issues interfere with their schooling, are going to eat our lunch.

0815test 8y ago
You really think you can tell who the "outstanding rockstars" of your country are going to be from an 8th-grade Math class? I mean, if we were teaching stuff like "data science" and JavaScript coding in elementary school, you might have a point. But this is elementary math, that everyone should be able to do to a high standard. I really have trouble grokking what your point might be here, other than trying to justify the all-too-common "soft bigotry of low expectations".
- supernova87a 8y ago
  No, you don't know exactly who the rockstars are going to be, at any level. That's exactly the point of having at every age, some "reach" opportunities for those who can use it at that stage and show that they're outstanding and benefit from being helped to test/learn to their potential. Versus what, you suggest that we have mandatory remedial level education for everyone to sit through until the last kid is performing up to grade level?

0815test 8y ago

You really think you can tell who the "outstanding rockstars" of your country are going to be from an 8th-grade Math class? I mean, if we were teaching stuff like "data science" and JavaScript coding in elementary school, you might have a point. But this is elementary math, that everyone should be able to do to a high standard. I really have trouble grokking what your point might be here, other than trying to justify the all-too-common "soft bigotry of low expectations".

supernova87a 8y ago
No, you don't know exactly who the rockstars are going to be, at any level. That's exactly the point of having at every age, some "reach" opportunities for those who can use it at that stage and show that they're outstanding and benefit from being helped to test/learn to their potential. Versus what, you suggest that we have mandatory remedial level education for everyone to sit through until the last kid is performing up to grade level?