Education Economics » Economic Status

The Disadvantages of High School Rankings

Admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:01:49 +0000

In a knowledge based global economy where your educational qualifications will invariably decide your social and economic status in life, it’s not surprising that such importance is attached to categorizing schools based on high school rankings. This is the reason why parents and students scan websites and pour through literature, searching for that dream educational institution that’s placed on the top rung of the ladder for high school rankings. In fact, better education is one of the reasons people choose to move every year, looking to build a better educational foundation for their kids. You might think that while looking for schools it’s best to base your selection on a predetermined listing for high school rankings. You might not always be right though. Here’s why.

Are High School Rankings the Only Factor?

Advocates of high school rankings argue that in a situation where the public education system in the country is in a sorry state of affairs at best, parents need tools to base their decisions on. High school rankings provide parents with that tool so they can make an informed decision. While this is true to a large extent, the fact is that these high school rankings don’t always take all factors into consideration while deciding a school’s place in the scheme of things.

For instance, schools might sometimes place lower on the high school rankings largely because of their location and student demographics. Unfortunately, schools with large minority student populations have a tougher time making it to the elite top positions in high school rankings. This is also true for schools that have large or majority African American populations. Education authorities will argue that the test scores in these schools are so dismal because the students aren’t motivated enough to succeed. Well, you wouldn’t be motivated either if you had parents who worked two jobs to support your family.

The uncomfortable truth is that in lower income communities, parents might not always have the time or resources to expend on monitoring their children’s education or motivating them. Managing to pay the bills and stay afloat takes enough energy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that schools with larger levels of such student populations will rank lower. The quality of education or the level of effort put in by teachers (who work diligently to goad their students to rise beyond any perceived limitations) is beyond reproach. One of the major reasons why such schools constantly place low on high school rankings is because of the low motivation levels of students.

And what about the success stories of disadvantaged children from such low ranked schools who go on to enjoy successful careers? They alone are enough proof that high school rankings need not always be taken as an open and shut categorization.

By: Patricia Hawke

The Downside of Public School Rankings

Admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:47:01 +0000

Any parent or educator knows that rating students and their schools is a big deal. State standards of learning, No Child Left Behind mandates, and independent websites all have their ways of evaluating the nation’s schools and children. There are some valid reasons behind this. The schools in our country are in sad and sorry shape. Economic status has more impact on a child’s future than any other factor. So public school rankings have emerged as part of an overall attempt to identify failing schools and help them improve.

So why are so many teachers and parents up in arms about testing? There are a lot of reasons.

The Inequities of Testing and Public school rankings

The fairness of testing, and ultimately public school rankings, has always been a controversial topic. Advocates claim that it’s the only way to keep schools accountable; and they say that the students who fail do so because they just aren’t ready to pass. Opponents of testing based public school rankings say that misses the point completely. If many students aren’t ready to pass it’s because their poverty level schools don’t give them the skills they need. And they claim that the rankings paint these schools in a bad light, which makes the situation worse. When fewer children choose to attend poorly rated schools the schools then lose money based on per pupil funding. So what’s the real deal?

Having taught in the inner city for years, the truths aren’t anything that anyone really wants to hear. Public school rankings give parents a basis for evaluating their children’s school, and for making educated decisions on moving. Politicians also love public school rankings for gen interest because they can make the numbers fit their story. But no public school rankings can tell the complete story of inner city education.

The sad truth is that money buys education in a lot of ways. Parents who are forced to work two jobs have a lot less time and energy to devote to their children’s schooling. Kids whose parents are in and out of prison, on drugs, or living in the dangerous housing projects usually have other concerns above academics. And the best teachers often choose not to teach in the poorest schools because it’s dangerous, supplies are scarce, parent involvement is minimal, and the schools often have a lack of leadership and vision. The public school rankings are often right on target in these situations.

Where Public school rankings Fall Short

Here’s what they miss. Public school rankings rely heavily on demographics and standardized tests. Standardized tests are one small part of the overall picture of a school and student’s success. A school that does a great job educating students with special needs or English Language Learners will have far worse test scores than schools with small numbers of these populations. Public school rankings also fail to mark current progress, improvements and initiatives in a school. Changes in school leadership can also have a drastic effect on public school rankings.

While we shouldn’t throw public school rankings out the window, no one should rely on them 100%. We need a whole new public discourse on what good education is, and what it should look like in this country. When that finally happens public school rankings for k-12 general interest will be a balanced part of an entirely different conversation.

By: Patricia Hawke

Impoverished Florida Schools Get Tech Makeover

Admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:38:45 +0000

High Poverty Florida Schools have Negligible Tech Equipment

Florida schools have long struggled with the wide disparities between schools in affluent neighborhoods, and those that serve the state’s weaker sections in high poverty pockets of the state. Low economic status of the students has been proven to be detrimental to a student’s learning ability. Along with other factors like the student’s intellectual capacity and economic status of the schools he or she attends, its not anything that Florida schools can do much about. It’s not surprising that most Florida schools in the state’s poorest belts rank so low on standardized tests.

As a result of these poor performances, many Florida schools that cater to the poor are denied precious funding that would otherwise help them introduce new programs, renovate structures, or upgrade existing tech equipment in their schools. Of all these possible uses for funding, the most important from the point of view of preparing students for life in the real world is undoubtedly access to state of the art computers and technology. With a knowledge driven global economy in which only those with at least minimal computer skills will make the cut, schools that aren’t able to offer access to the latest equipment are in danger of failing their students. Many Florida schools lag dismally in this regard with many students forced to use aging equipment or share computers with other students.

Big Business Backs Florida Schools

Now there appears to be some good news for impoverished Florida schools. Microsoft Corporation’s anti-trust settlement reached with several states, including Florida, means the software giant will shell out funding to each state which will be used by the state’s education department. In Florida’s case, this funding will be in the form of vouchers valued at over $80 million. The technology vouchers will go towards purchasing new computers and software, and will directly impact those Florida schools that would otherwise have no access to the funding for these upgrades.

Benefits to Florida Schools

The schools expected to benefit are those that have at least half the student population on reduced price or free lunches. According to Florida education authorities, at least 1,790 schools with student populations of a total of 1.1 million will be eligible for these technology vouchers. Half the vouchers will be utilized for upgrading existing software and purchasing new ones, while the remainder will be used for hardware. A chunk of the money will also go towards programs that include curriculum development, and training of Florida schools administrators. With this windfall, computer labs at Florida schools will get a much needed shot in the arm. The main beneficiaries will be the students in these Florida schools who will receive much needed access to current technology.

By: Patricia Hawke

Minneapolis Schools Struggle With Diversity

Admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:25:27 +0000

Minneapolis Schools, like most school districts, struggles with diversity. They struggle with making sure their schools are not segregated based on color or economic status. That is difficult when people of like economic status tend to live in certain areas.

One of the ways Minneapolis Schools achieves this is through parent choice. Parents in Minneapolis Schools are given options such as private school vouchers, charter schools, and opting to send their children outside of their neighborhood. Although this program has done a good job of helping to desegregate schools, there are some areas in the Minneapolis Schools where this has had the opposite affect.

There are some Minneapolis Schools where white students are transferring out of schools where they are already the minority, and students of color are transferring into these schools. One of the obstacles to this program is that there simply are not enough white students enrolled in the Minneapolis Schools to balance the numbers. Another obstacle is that students struggling to transfer into these schools are overwhelming the building capacity of the more desirable schools.

The Minneapolis Schools have looked at various options to aid parent choice. But some things, like providing transportation for students who choose not to attend their neighborhood schools, is almost impossible to fit into an already stretched budget.

Minneapolis Schools labels schools as “racially identifiable” if they are not adequately desegregated. These schools receive funding to attract students into their buildings- but this doesn’t always work.

Upper income white parents hesitate to send their children into lower income neighborhoods, even when the education itself is comparable. There is some rational basis to this as studies have shown that students can be pulled wither up or down by their academic surroundings. So bringing better-educated families into these poorer areas is likely to benefit the lower income families, but there is fear that it will negatively impact the students from the upper income families.

Minneapolis Schools have made a commitment to work this issue out through other programs such as changing school boundaries. The Minneapolis Schools draw the boundaries so that they include neighborhoods at both ends of the spectrum to attempt to achieve the racial equity it desires. One of the reasons for this commitment that Minneapolis Schools have to solving this dilemma is the overwhelming proof that children who are racially and economically segregated have lower overall performance than those from racially and economically diverse schools. That is the main reason for their push to achieve this balance. Research has also shown that diversity improves relationships amongst students, improves over all academic performance, and improves the attendance records of all students involved. That is of course the main mission of Minneapolis Schools: to improve education for all students.

By: Patricia Hawke