Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2005 > August > 19 > Entry
A good debate
There’s a pointed debate going in the comments under my post about why we’re low in the world on standardized tests. I cited the comments of education blogger JennyD, who said our top kids, who happen to be affluent and white, do well. It’s our low scoring kids, who happen to be poor and minority, that are so far behind the low scorers around the world.
So it seems to me we know the problem — we need to bring our low scorers up. The tricky question is how?
Some posters seem to suggest its up to individuals to raise themselves up and break through a “culture of poverty” that does not value education. Others say with government leadership, resources and creativity, we as a nation should be able to make positive change for these kids, but we choose to focus out attention elsewhere.
I’d like to hear your ideas for helping low scoring kids do better in America.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Testing
Comments
By Dirk Smiggler
August 22, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
Hmmm…is it just me, or do I find it quite ironic that a newspaper written for the average sixth grader is reporting on why test scores are low?By Rachael
August 20, 2005 9:58 AM | Link to this
Poor people value education and love their children just as much as rich people do. What they lack is experience and opportunity. Educators (with the best intentions) have mistakenly “dumbed down” curriculum for students who are performing below grade level. The result is that they stay below grade level. In poor districts students should experience the same high-quality education as students in wealthy districts. Students want to learn, and they deserve the opportunity to learn at a competetive level. Educators need to stop making excuses the norm and start making high expectations the norm.