Economics Project
Education Education • Sources – National Center for Education Statistics • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP); “Nation’s Report Card” – Census • Issues in Education – High School Completion • (# of graduates/# of students) – Who represents “graduates”? Equivalency exam? > 4 years? Modified study? – Who represents “students”? Those that started HS 4 years prior? Size of senior class? • What is the study for? Diploma count? Workforce qualification? School performance? • Beginning 2010/11 school year, No Child Left Behind legislation improved consistency across states by requiring grad rates be reported as: (# of students who graduate in four years with a HS diploma/ # of students who entered school 4 years prior). Education – Assessing Progress • U.S. has not been in the top scoring countries on any major assessment since the early 1990s; but consider: – the U.S. has heterogeneous student body each with its own unique challenges. – U.S students typically progress to the higher levels of education, skewing average results lower . – stats don’t tell us “why” some countries do better, making it difficult to implement policy based on divergent data. • Both reading and math have improved since 1992. – The NAEP tests grades 4, 8, and 12 in a variety of disciplines to assess overall improvement. – 2009 NAEP 26% of 12 th graders were considered proficient in math. • Concerns with improvement – Grade inflation and teaching to the test. – May not be measuring other educational objectives such as creativity, social responsibility, professionalism, and friendliness (these may actually be inversely correlated with high subject matter achievement). Achievement -level results in eighth - and twelfth -grade NAEP writing: 2011 Education – College Completion • Time -frame matters – Among OECD countries the U.S. is low with 57.2% baccalaureate graduation rates in 6 years. – Norway uses graduation rates within 10 years of starting a program giving the impression of greater college completion. • U.S ranks #1 in share of population with bachelor’s degrees. • Demographics matter – U.S admits a more diverse pool of students than many other countries, lowering graduation rates and making our colleges appear deficient. – SAT Scores – Still falling, why? – Simpsons Paradox : a relationship that appears in aggregated data disappears or reverses when broken into subgroups. – A greater proportion of lower -scoring, mostly lower -income groups, have been taking the SAT. Education – Charter Schools • Public funded but with greater discretion in administration. • Comparisons are challenging for researchers: – May have a selection bias in the student body creating better performance metrics. – Can study lottery schools but high demand may suggest school is above average to begin with. • Results to date are varied and inconclusive. – Teacher Compensation • Structure of compensation – Step & Column: pay based on educational attainment and years of experience. » Research to date suggest no correlation between teacher experience/education (beyond first few years) and student performance. – Merit: pay based on educational outcomes of students » Does higher pay create higher quality teachers and improve student success? » How do we evaluate teacher quality (standardized exams, value -added tests?) • Merit pay concerns: – Teaching to the test – Lack of willingness to teach in low - income areas. • Are teachers underpaid? School Vouchers (private provision) Proponents: Parental choice. Competition among schools and teachers fuels quality improvements and lower costs. Greater diversity of students. Educational techniques cater to student specific needs. Greater financial accountability for school performance. Public schools lose only a fraction of funds. 1990 Milwaukee Experiment vouchers were worth $3,878 while public school received $11,178 pre -voucher per pupil. Opponents: High -income families with children in private schools benefit from an effective “tax refund”. Wealthier families have greater transportation options causing socioeconomic and racial imbalances to worsen. Funds are drained from low income areas toward higher income areas. Limits centralization of standards (private schools free to teach whatever they desire). Education No Child Left Behind (2001) Federal -led effort that requires all K -12 public schools receiving federal funding to administer a state -wide standardized test annually to all students. Each state sets its own standards for math, reading, & science and determines “Adequate Yearly Progress” goals for each school . States produce report cards on each school and district and if required improvements are not made, the schools face decreased funding or other punishments. All teachers must be highly qualified (i.e. bachelors degree, subject matter competency, and teaching credential). Common Core (2010) State -led effort intended to provide more clarity and consistency with regard to expected student learning outcomes across K -12 public schools in the U.S. 46 of 50 states have adopted the initiative. Standards: Are internationally benchmarked for global competitiveness. Are college and career focused. Expect increased reasoning and problem solving skill -sets to ensure “deep conceptual comprehension” of the material. Argumentative and explanatory skill -set in non -mathematical disciplines. Education
