Has anyone demonstrated that the students in differing geographical areas are equally educatable? If student potential varies, then doesn't that need to be taken into account when evaluating the education systems? If low potential students obtain average results, they must be in a high-performing education system, right?
Points well taken. The graph shows DC as the lowest performing followed by AL, MS, CA, HI, AZ, NM, NV, LA, NC, OK, WV, GA, AR, IL all performing below the US average. It may be interesting to see a study conducted along the lines of parental involvement described anecdotally in the comments by
A. Hairyhanded Gent.
Possibly closely related to this, the book summarizing decades of research studies
How College Affects Students, describes students becoming aware of how their own choices impact their successes (and failures) and begin to attribute their successes (and failures) to their own actions and efforts, rather than external locus of control. Thereby taking ownership for their goals, directions, and outcomes.
Applying this at the elementary, middle, and high school level... the successes/failures may possibly be related to the combined academic and support choices, actions, and efforts of the pupil and the pupil's family. For a large number of families to choose a path other than academic success, might there be a perceived greater benefit to lack of academic success?
A number of the lower performing States may also have larger numbers of families in which the parents do not speak English. Throughout the history of the US, immigrants have chosen this hardship over the hardships in their native land, and have sacrificed so that their children and their children's children may have a better life enjoying the personal liberties and freedoms which citizens of the US strive to maintain, enjoy, and promote in sharing with others. With a steady influx of new families, the overall scores may appear lower while any performance gap may close within a few years for each individual student.
