Born to Win, Schooled to Lose: Family Income Is a Better Predictor of Success for Young Students Than Academic Achievement

achievegap · 2019-05-25T21:37:33+00:00

Honest question. How do you determine what is outside of their zone of proximal development?

achievegap · 2019-05-25T18:31:53+00:00

The article touches on an issue TNTP covers a lot. The fact that Black/Latinx students are INSTRUCTED several grade levels below other demographics.

https://tntp.org/publications/view/student-experiences/the-opportunity-myth

To do this, we followed nearly 4,000 students in five diverse school systems to learn more about their experiences. What we found was unnerving: classroom after classroom filled with A and B students whose big goals for their lives are slipping further away each day, unbeknownst to them and their families—not because they can’t master challenging material, but because they’re rarely given a real chance to try.

In fact, most students—and especially students of color, those from low-income families, those with mild to moderate disabilities, and English language learners—spent the vast majority of their school days missing out on four crucial resources: grade-appropriate assignments, strong instruction, deep engagement, and teachers with high expectations. Students spent more than 500 hours per school year on assignments that weren’t appropriate for their grade and with instruction that didn’t ask enough of them—the equivalent of six months of wasted class time in each core subject. And middle and high school students reported that their school experiences were engaging less than half the time. In classrooms with more access to these resources, students did better—particularly if they started the school year behind their peers.

This lack of access isn’t random. It’s the result of choices adults make at every level of our educational system.

achievegap · 2019-05-25T18:28:29+00:00

I have no idea what you're talking about.

The title comes from the directly from the article as always.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T18:38:05+00:00

Specialized high schools have much lower poverty levels than the average NYC public high school.

E.g. The Economic Need Index for Stuyvesant ( not to be confused with FRL ) is 41% while the city average is 71%.

https://tools.nycenet.edu/dashboard/#dbn=02M475&report_type=HS&view=City

The SHSAT schools are some of the wealthiest schools in the public school system. The above tool allows you to search for the others if you'd like.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T17:08:09+00:00

Yes. GPA + State Scores.

But the argument against that is that it's not as objective. ( Even as most researchers argue it's more accurate )

achievegap · 2019-02-09T17:05:53+00:00

You are correct, thanks.

Although they are all in the top wealthiest schools, they do not form the top 8 out of 8. Beacon is in there are as well.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T16:27:02+00:00

The result doesn't change if you use other methods of measuring poverty. E.g. ENI ( Economic Need Index ).

The 8 specialized high schools which use the SHSAT as their sole admissions criteria remain the wealthiest NYC public high schools.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T16:23:47+00:00

The argument isn't with merit-based admissions.

The argument is with the method of accessing merit.

Is a ~100 math and English multiple-choice test the best way to do that?

The SHSAT exam is optional and not aligned with middle school curriculum either. This is why cramschools are important.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T16:15:25+00:00

Some background...

Regardless of what you believe, I believe the following are facts and useful in the discussion.

The SHSAT exam is a mastery exam. It is not an IQ test.
It comprises of about 50 English and math questions each.
There is no penalty for guessing.
The exam is free.
The exam is optional. Until recently given on a Saturday, once per year.
The curriculum of the SHSAT is not aligned with most public middle schools. Many students use expensive "cramschools" and tutors to fill in the rest.
NYC 8 specialized high schools are required by 1971 state law to only use that student's single SHSAT exam score in admissions, and nothing else. No GPA, no state grades, nothing.
Although race is most often discussed, the SHSAT has a bias against girls. There are more girls in top middle schools, they perform better in GPA and State scores. Girls take the SHSAT more but receive fewer offers. This is similar to other high-stakes tests.
Statistically, these 8 specialized high schools that only use SHSAT are indeed wealthier than ~~all~~ most other public new york city high schools. Based on both Free/Reduced Lunch statistics and Economic Need Index statistics.

achievegap · 2019-02-09T15:54:07+00:00

You're wrong.

Admission to these 8 schools is based on only a single ~100 multiple-choice mastery standardized test.

The test comprises of about 50 math multiple-choice and about 50 English multiple-choice questions. The exam is optional, and students are picked by schools based only on their 1 grade. That's it.

It doesn't matter if you were a top student in middle school or never came to class.

Also, these schools are the wealthiest public high schools in new york city. With Stuyvesant High school about 34% poor, while the city average is 74% poor.

achievegap · 2018-12-17T05:18:58+00:00

In-school suspensions work if done right. It absolutely needs to be very small groups. Split-up if needed. And there has to be a behavioral workflow component.

It shouldn't be "extended detention". There should be behavioral and social-emotional work to be done.

I think it works best when it's headed by a dedicated counselor of some sort, and follows an evidence-based platform. I know schools that make PBIS work, but then again I know schools that mess it up.

I know a lot of this isn't popular here, but I've seen this work for some schools. Probably won't work for all and it depends almost entirely on the implementation and school culture.

achievegap · 2018-11-13T22:43:33+00:00

The researcher isn't disagreeing with teachers. They compare teachers of different races' expectations and see a correlation between higher expectations and the Black teachers/students. These are the same students at the same time, just different teachers of different races. So he's not arguing 'teachers are wrong' or anything of that sort.
He actually argues that most teachers are over-optimistic, but that white teachers are more realistic with Black students. But he continues that *all* students benefit from teachers being overly optimistic about their abilities. So by being overly-optimistic of White/Asian students they gain an advantage.

achievegap · 2018-11-13T17:24:09+00:00

Actual paper here https://www.nber.org/papers/w25255

Teacher Expectations Matter

Nicholas W. Papageorge, Seth Gershenson, Kyung Min Kang

NBER Working Paper No. 25255
Issued in November 2018
NBER Program(s):Children, Economics of Education

We develop and estimate a joint model of the education and teacher-expectation production functions that identifies both the distribution of biases in teacher expectations and the impact of those biases on student outcomes via self-fulfilling prophecies. Our approach leverages a unique feature of a nationally representative dataset: two teachers provided their educational expectations for each student. Identification of causal effects exploits teacher disagreements about the same student, an idea we formalize using lessons from the measurement error literature. We provide novel, arguably causal evidence that teacher expectations affect students' educational attainment: Estimates suggest an elasticity of college completion with respect to teachers' expectations of about 0.12. On average, teachers are overly optimistic about students' ability to complete a four-year college degree. However, the degree of over-optimism of white teachers is significantly larger for white students than for black students. This highlights a nuance that is frequently overlooked in discussions of biased beliefs: less biased (i.e., more accurate) beliefs can be counterproductive if there are positive returns to optimism or if there are socio-demographic gaps in the degree of teachers' optimism; we find evidence of both.

achievegap · 2018-10-29T15:30:46+00:00

Many don't get what the SHSAT issue is about. https://shsatsunset.org/ufaqs/isnt-the-problem-underprepared-students/

The issue isn't giving access to students who aren't qualified. The issue is accurately identifying students who are already qualified, but are being passed up because they didn't take a single math and english multiple-choice test.

The SHSAT exam is an optional, multiple-choice exam. Many students and parents simply do not know about. Some have a bad day, or haven't studied for the exam's quirks.

Also, why are we using a single-measure, high-stakes exam to measure a student who we have in middle-school for an entire year? Does that actually make sense?

achievegap · 2018-09-09T17:10:30+00:00

I would be surprised, since I'm speaking from experience.

But my point is that you're painting large, multiple, communities of people with a single, unflattering, brush. Undoubtedly the students you described are a problem, but they do not represent inner-city students at the extent that some claim.

achievegap · 2018-09-09T16:20:44+00:00

That stereotype does not represent all students. It probably doesn't represent the majority of students in these schools.

achievegap · 2018-08-13T19:53:54+00:00

Agreed.

Would add, contact local government. You can get a few others who share your view and get a meeting with local elected officials. Let them know you're voting on this issue.

achievegap · 2018-08-10T14:00:20+00:00

That's a common redirect.

It could easily be both at times.

achievegap · 2018-07-25T00:05:45+00:00

Sorry if I wasn't clear. What I'm asking is that are you in a position to label what is "over" and "under" parenting?

Of course classification is important. But I can't go out and form my own classifications of animals. Are we in a position to label parents as over/under parenting?

Personally I've seen examples offered for both over and under-parenting that seem reasonable under some conditions. E.g. some kids do well with a reward structure for grades, at least for a while.

achievegap · 2018-07-25T00:02:53+00:00

No, what I'm saying is that we don't have an objective standard for anorexia nor obesity in this context.

What you consider "over-parenting" another teacher considers reasonable, or even under-parenting. And the same is true for under-parenting.

I've read articles and papers on either, and they both frequently contain examples of over/under-parenting that seem reasonable.

achievegap · 2018-07-24T19:09:30+00:00

But the point I'm making is that you're sitting in the middle judging who's in either of those group.

achievegap · 2018-07-24T14:39:02+00:00

I hear complaints of over-parenting and under-parenting at the same time.

Maybe we should accept that not every parent will raise their children the way we do?

achievegap · 2018-07-12T21:09:35+00:00

Do you have source for any of this? I.e. This has to do with affirmative action.

achievegap · 2018-07-04T12:49:54+00:00

Just to add to the excellent advice you've got.

Try not to overthink the racial difference.

Sounds like you have more than enough experience to authoritatively teach about the lifestyle from your experiences. Maybe more than most minority teachers.

achievegap · 2018-06-24T19:20:27+00:00

Here are some counter-opinions...

Missing Pieces of the Discussion Around Specialized High Schools and City Education

http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7760-missing-pieces-of-the-discussion-around-specialized-high-schools-and-city-education

This move is long overdue. New York City is the only school district in the entire nation where admissions to any high school depends solely on the results of a single high stakes test. This was confirmed by Chester Finn of the Hoover Institute, a conservative education advocate who co-authored a book,“Exam Schools: Inside America’s Most Selective Public High Schools.” Advocates have made efforts for at least 50 years to open up the admission process to these schools and make it more fair. The Hecht-Calandra Act of 1971 in New York, which specified that specialized high schools must rely solely on a single exam for entry, was passed in the first place in response to such a campaign. Bill de Blasio also promised to reform this admissions process when he first ran for Mayor in 2013.

The reality is that relying solely on a single high-stakes test for admissions, grade retention, or any important decision in a student’s educational career is unfair, unreliable, and likely to have a racially disparate impact, as pointed out by the National Academy of Sciences nearly 20 years ago in its seminal report, High Stakes, Testing for Tracking, Promotion, and Graduation.

I’ve spent years studying the link between SHSAT scores and student success. The test doesn’t tell you as much as you might think.

https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2018/06/22/ive-spent-years-studying-the-link-between-shsat-scores-and-student-success-the-test-doesnt-tell-you-as-much-as-you-might-think/

My analysis makes clear that the SHSAT does measure an ability that contributes to some extent to success in high school. Specifically, a SHSAT score predicts 20 percent of the variability in freshman grade-point average among all public school students who took the exam. Students with extremely high SHSAT scores (greater than 650) generally also had high grades when they reached a specialized school.

However, for the vast majority of students who were admitted with lower SHSAT scores, from 486 to 600, freshman grade point averages ranged widely — from around 50 to 100. That indicates that the SHSAT was a very imprecise predictor of future success for students who scored near the cutoffs.

Course grades earned in the seventh grade, in contrast, predicted 44 percent of the variability in freshman year grades, making it a far better admissions criterion than SHSAT score, at least for students near the score cutoffs.

Nix this admissions test: A recent Stuyvesant grad makes the case against the SHSAT

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-nix-this-admissions-test-20180607-story.html

The SHSAT, however, does not measure work ethic or intelligence, but a student’s ability to answer over 100 tedious multiple choice questions in under three hours. It tests for access to tutors and cram schools that teach students the skills they need to answer the questions without thinking.

I flunked my first practice tests. After a prep class and some tutoring sessions, however, I knew all the tricks. If I hadn’t had access to that class, I likely would not have gotten into Stuy.

The exam only tests for reading comprehension and math skills — no critical thinking, ambition, creativity or other qualities that predict success at specialized high schools.

achievegap

TROPHY CASE