The history of modern public education is littered with innovative educational theories that failed so spectacularly that the term is now used as a pejorative. For example, in his 1960s, when I was in elementary school, the “new mathematics” focused more on teaching abstract concepts than fundamentals. You can find a series of studies documenting its failure decades later, but the evidence was recognized almost immediately.
According to Morris Klein's 1973 Common Core, the new approach at the time was that “mathematics is a cumulative development, and that it is virtually impossible to learn new things without knowing the old ones. He completely ignored the facts.” Educational standards adopted by California and 39 other states in 2010. In hindsight, this also deserves a failing grade.
“Despite the intuitive appeal of theory, standards-based reform has not worked very well in practice,” a 2021 report from the Brookings Institution says. “The illusion of a consistent, well-coordinated system comes at the expense of flexibility for teachers to adjust instruction to serve students.” Pass/Fail, Phonics' Addition to Whole-Language Learning Don't talk about substitutions, social-emotional learning (SEL), or other weird issues.
In a 2022 article reviewing some of this, investigative reporter Joe Herring writes, “For most of a century, American education has vacillated from fad to fad, resulting in inventiveness that has underperformed the previous generation.'' I've always found a way to do it.” Apparently, there aren't enough productive jobs in education doctoral programs, so instead of focusing on obvious experiments, they spend their time dreaming up large-scale experiments to improve education. It seems there are.
The process picks up steam as more and more evidence about recent underperformance pours in. And the latest data is certainly impressive, albeit in a depressing way. Traditional public schools (particularly in California) were unable to cope with the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Teachers unions delayed reopening. Test scores declined significantly, especially among poor and minority students. Many students checked out for good, as evidenced by high rates of chronic absenteeism.
Rather than ideas that promote competitiveness and excellence, our school bureaucracies are always eager to adopt simple push-button solutions, and “innovations” that have next to no chance of improving educational outcomes. We are working on “new” ideas. The new one is based on the concept of fairness. Like all education reform trends, it sounds fine in an elevator pitch. Who doesn't support fairness? However, they end up creating confusion that further impedes student progress.
For example, some schools in the Bay Area have approved “equity ratings.” The emphasis on grading rather than instruction is strange, but the details are even stranger. mercury news One school district reportedly eliminated “the practice of awarding zero points for assignments as long as they are 'reasonably attempted,'” and also eliminated extra credit for class participation. EG provides students with “multiple opportunities to make up missed or failed assignments and minimize the impact of homework on student grades.” Nowadays it is almost impossible to get an A or an F.
It reminds me of Garrison Keillor's fictional town of Lake Wobegon in Minnesota, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Parents are understandably worried that the new grading system will encourage slacking off. Why work extra hard if you can't get an A? You can't get any worse than a C, so why try to improve? It creates a false sense of fairness, and it creates a false sense of fairness where colleges are trying to get better students. becomes more difficult to certify.
Educational theorists and consultants who promote this nonsense argue that it will encourage students and teachers to focus entirely on mastering the material rather than on the chores that surround them. They say it will better prepare students for the world of work. However, many so-called “normal” things, such as attending classes, completing homework, and submitting assignments on time, can greatly contribute to such mastery.
When it comes to the world of work, ask your editor how they would feel if they could expect to get paid even if they missed a deadline. “Proponents of proficiency-based scoring argue that it has the potential to promote fairness.” education next article. But will it improve your learning and test performance? You don't need to be a math whiz to know the answer.
State education officials are also jumping on the stock bandwagon. The California State Board of Education approved a new 1,000-page mathematics framework last year. education week “We aim to put meaning-making at the heart of the mathematics classroom,” they report, and “encourage teachers to make mathematics culturally relevant and accessible to all students.” ” reported. The framework is not binding on school districts, but it will affect everything from textbooks to instructional standards.
I don't know how to make mathematical calculations more meaningful and relevant, but in a few years someone will write a book about that failure. On the other hand, many parents know that what makes them successful is competition. But providing additional schooling options puts pressure on school bureaucracies and job-protecting teachers' unions to make improvements, an outcome they find unacceptable.
This column first appeared in The Orange County Register.