Friday, February 23, 2007

More Inflation ... in Schools 

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

Monetary inflation destroys a currency. Will academic inflation destroy education?

Two new reports from the U.S. Department of Education suggest that inflation continues to be a problem.

The High School Transcript Study found some interesting comparisons between the class of 2005 and the class of 1990. The class of 2005 received an additional 360 hours of instruction, and had an average GPA that was one-third of a grade higher.

The Grade 12 Reading and Mathematics Report found a number of discouraging points:

• the average reading score was lower than it was in 1992;
• the percentage of students scoring at "Basic," the lowest level, declined;
• but the percentage of students score at "Proficient," the next highest level, declined as well

For the Math test, only 23 percent of students scored as proficient.

Weak test results are nothing new. But here's where the reports get interesting. I'll let the Washington Post pick up the story:

"Large percentages of high school seniors are posting weak scores on national math and reading tests even though more of them are taking challenging courses and getting higher grades in school, say two new government reports released Thursday. ... The transcript study shows high school students are earning more credits, taking more challenging courses and getting higher grade-point averages than in the past."

The news coverage of the Wall Street Journal (subscription may be required) says "The findings raise questions about whether college-prep courses are as tough as their titles indicate, and, if so, whether high schools and their instructors are adequately prepared to teach such courses to a rapidly changing mix of students.

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings expressed disappointment with the findings, saying: 'If, in fact, our high-school students are taking more challenging courses and earning higher grades, we should be seeing greater gains in test scores.'

Other observers said the results suggest that some school districts are teaching watered-down versions of everything from history to trigonometry."

• posted by John LaPlante
• 6:07 pm
• 0 comment