The eons-long debate over the quality of public education rarely uncovers a lot of new ground, but sometimes things are a little different that you expect. In an analysis of the lofty goal of No Child Left Behind - that all American students will be 100% proficient by 2014 - NY Times Magazine contributor Paul Tough notes that we're choosing to fail.
Several good studies have uncovered the facts:
1) Students from low-income families start school behind and fall further behind as they are socially promoted.
2) These shortfalls have more to do with parental style than income!
Amazing, but true. Middle class parents talk to their kids frequently, building their vocabularies. They give their children enriching activities and they encourage their kids to challenge authority. And these kids, armed with a sense of entitlement, do better in school and in life (and often treat teachers poorly, as well).
3) A proven way to improve the chances for poor kids - courtesy of KIPP schools - is to help them catch up:
a) by giving them 60% more time in school.
b) by giving them highly qualified teachers.
c) and by teaching them the work ethic and commitment to education that their parents may not have.
Part (c) is particularly interesting in light of research that shows that a child's scores on a psychological self-discipline test are twice as likely to help predict their GPA than their IQ. Motivation matters.
If we know what works, from motivation to more intense schooling, then the author is right. We aren't failing by accident or because failure of certain students is inevitable. We have the model and we know the cost.
We're failing these kids by choice.
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