New article in the Atlantic, cited in Gifted exchange blog, is both exciting - someone is talking about the kids at the top of the spectrum for a change - and hugely depressing - only MA does a decent job of educating our top. It is so mind boggling that state and after state is comfortable with our kids knowing so little. And even more shocking that it is shocking to find that no one is talking about what actually correlates with student learning - teacher knowledge! They have studies which show that the more the teachers know the better students do. Isn't this a no brainer!!! Forget depressing, it just makes me angry!!!

Your child left behind



DeHe

It never ceases to amaze me either that people (parents included) seem fine with the fact that their children are not learning much!
I have seen the correlation first hand between teacher knowledge and student success (or lack there of, whichever may be the case). As I go through the school year, it is really easy to see which topics the students' previous teachers knew well and understood more than the grade level expectations and which were not really understood. It then takes quite a while to "un-teach" the mistakes that they were taught previously.

Every time I've changed schools, whether internationally or in the US, because I teach physics and there are so few true physics teachers out there (as opposed to chemistry teachers or math teachers teaching physics) it usually takes a couple of years before there is a noticeable difference in the students' understanding of physics.

Now, as a parent, it makes me angry too when DD's teachers don't know enough to keep up with her in some cases. I mean, she is still only 7!

I would love to see a copy of all of the states' standardized tests and compare them in level of difficulty and requirements year by year. I think that would tell a lot more about the state of education in each place than looking at just what the results on these tests actually are.

Oops, sorry, i fixed the link, I had doubled the http part, a reminder to always check!

DeHe

My son was just telling me today (on the long drive home) that he appreciates that his teachers have expertise in their subjects and are willing to answer any question even outside the planned lessons.
Almost all, if not all, have some level degree specific to their subject. They may or may not have an additional teaching degree, which is not a requirement at private schools. Several teachers have had successful careers as business owners, engineers, product inventor, and dentist. A few have PhDs. Some teachers were born and educated in other countries. Some American born, have lived in other countries. They are like college instructors.

Referring back to the article which discusses our standing in comparison to other countries; ds has friends from China and Korea at his school so he is quite aware of how different their prior math education was in comparison to his own. He tells me that his Chinese friends had been instructed through at least precalculus by end of middle school. Additionally, they learned what we consider �extra math� such as logic and problem solving as part of their normal curriculum and they are really, really good at it!

I am coming from the country which is the top list in this article. I did surprise when I knew some of my regular high school math curriculum are AP classes in US, though not all the students got into high school and not all high school students selected science/engineering as their major.

Many Asian countries focus on academic too much. Back in my days, before we entered college, school work was the obligation of every students. Grade was the only thing how people judged you. Especially the math grade, it is the index to tell a kid is smart or not. Parents, teachers put a lot of pressure on students. If we didn't meet teachers expectation, it was not unusual to be beaten by teachers. We didn't know what is "learning for fun", only high achievement was what we worth. I was lucky that my parents didn't put too much pressure on me, but the whole environment push me as well.

I don't know too much detail of educational system about our next generation. I know it is not better than my days. Most of families need double income. Some of children stay at afterschool until 8pm. They don't have playground in afterschool, students need to finish homework or repeat practicing school work. If the kid is lucky and doesn't need to go to afterschool, many of them still need to go to tutoring class since elementary. They don't have as much as time to play or talk to parents like my kids. This is how the country earns highest rating in math.

In US, kids have more diversity life and more time to enjoy themselves. I want my kids to develop their potential but I don't want them to experience the education that I experienced.

I have been calling it 'No child left ahead' for years. I am SO FRUSTRATED with my child's school at the moment.

What drives me absolutely crazy is that they speak of what is wrong with her. It is not 'what is wrong with her', it is 'what is RIGHT with her'.

My child taught her self to read at age 3. She is a wizard at Legos, puzzles etc. Perfect scores across the board for NY state tests.

What the school systems and teachers fail to realize is that it is about social isolation and all the negative issues that follow. She does not do TV tag nor Barbie. My apologies.

I have three intelligent children and a fourth that happens to be brilliant. I don't know how I ended up in a world where that has become a problem.

I'd like to second BooBoo's comments. The numbers look good because there is a story behind them.

My country isn't on the list but if it were, it'd be among the top few (in other surveys, it's almost always at or near the top). Here, kids "go to school" to go to school, meaning that they do a full session of school in the morning before moving on to tuition/enrichment schools the rest of the day and the weekend. I've always questioned the logic - children here are not in school to learn; they go there to get perfect grades because they've already learnt and practiced the questions ad nauseum in a cram school. There are model methods for math which reduces the need to think (remember - the goal is perfect grades, not learning, which can only happen if you make mistakes), even model composition essays to memorize or mimic from Grade 1!

Diversity of experience, creativity, experential learning, are not celebrated. But top marks, yes!

If only the twain will meet!

I live in MA. Where are these schools that provide for the gifted. It sure isn't here in Western MA. :-(

Last week, the word cemetery was on DS7's spelling list. It was spelled cemetary. Every person that I had asked spelled it the same way. I have been wrong ALL this time??? I'm a great speller. I can't be wrong.

And well, I wasn't. Words on spelling lists given by the teacher should NEVER be wrong. Ever.

Gulp! What did you do?

I emailed her to let her know that DS7 was insistent that it was spelled with an "a" until he looked in a book that he got for his birthday (ironically it was a "spelling" book). I stated that I wasn't sure if he had written it down incorrectly or not (which he has done before), but I wanted to let her know... this way I did not blame her. We like her, so I don't want to get on the wrong side with half of a year left!!!

Interesting that MA is at the top and the state does not mandate or fund gifted programs.