The power of high expectations in a classroom
—third graders who don’t pass a standardized reading test are forced to repeat third grade, on the theory that setting this high expectation will force eight-year-olds and their teachers to stop slacking off.
that schools are systematically lying to studentsFor much of the last twenty years, “expectations” have been a cudgel for clobbering teachers, one more reason to let all the rest of society off the hook because it’s the teachers who are failing the students.looking at the E word in the classroom, teachers are not inclined to greet it with joy. Particularly when the write-up begins with the notion that teacher evaluation of students can’t be trusted: Unfortunately, “grade inflation” is pervasive in U.S. high schools, as evidenced by rising GPAs even as SAT scores and other measures of academic performance have held stable or fallen. The result is that a “good” grade is no longer a clear marker of knowledge and skills. The study by Seth Gershenson, associate professor at the School of Public Affairs at American University, makes a pretty basic assertion as its main conclusion—teachers who grade harder end up with students who learn more. There are some other findings as well, including the suggestion that teachers raise standards as they gain years in the classroom. These are not particularly shocking findings, though the study itself raises some questions. The study was of 8th and 9th grade algebra classes, and it made the too-common use of standardized test scores as proxies for learning. It also gives a great deal of credence too the notion that students are highly motivated by grades. AsExtrapolating that into a declaration that tougher grading would lead to higher achievement is giving way too much credence to a cranky-pants theory, the one where a kick in the pants is what kids these days really need.and in Twitter conversations, Gershenson has expressed awareness of some of the nuances and questions involved in connecting grading to motivation to greater learning. In particular, the dynamic he writes about raises a chicken-and-egg problem—do students get better grades because more has been expected of them, or do teachers have higher expectations of students who demonstrate greater achievement? The ed reform view of expectations has always been overly simplistic . The reform idea is that expectations are like the volume knob on your sound system; just crank the knob higher, and you get more volume/achievement. Teachers know that classroom expectations are a much trickier balancing act. Expect too little, and you don’t unlock the student’s full potential. Expect too much, and the student simply gives up and becomes even harder to teach. On top of that, choosing how to communicate those expectations also requires careful judgment; sometimes the student needs hand held, and sometimes the students needs a tough-love push. Ed reforms, like those tied to high stakes testing, have always focused on threats and pants-kicking. Expectations don’t exist in a vacuum. “I expect you to build a beautiful house, and here are all the very best tools and materials you’ll need” is much different from, “I expect you to build a beautiful house, but all we’ve got here is a hammer, a stick and a ball of string.” Blaming teachers for “soft bigotry of low expectations” doesn’t really let society and politicians off the hook for not properly supporting students and the public schools most of them attend. Meanwhile, teachers practice the fine art of calibrating expectations with some apparent success. For all the concern about grade inflation, research continues to show that
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Laka: Cycling insurtech raises new funds from LocalGlobe and Creandum - Business InsiderPeople in our community care about their bike and we're changing people's mindsets about how insurance can be done,' said Laka CEO Tobias Taupitz.
Read more »
High School Musical: The Musical Is Returning With A Beastly Classic Disney TaleThe HighSchoolMusical series will cover a tale as old as time for season two 👀
Read more »
HSMTMTS Is Taking On Beauty and the Beast For Season 2Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is doing a tale as old as time in season two with Beauty and the Beast, and production starts today.
Read more »
Fiat Chrysler fourth-quarter lifted by North America business to meet expectationsFiat Chrysler said its operating profit matched expectations in the fourth quart...
Read more »
U.S. jobs growth beats expectations for JanuaryU.S. non-farm payrolls data for January came in above analysts expectations, bol...
Read more »
Harvey Weinstein Trial: Memory Expert Testifies On “Malleability” Of Recollected EventsThe Manhattan courtroom where Harvey Weinstein is being tried for rape and sexual misconduct took on the aura of a college psychology classroom today as a high-profile cognitive psychologist (and d…
Read more »