Florida to measure student goals by race

[Capt Worley PE]

A plan by Florida to set goals for students in math and reading based on their race has educators and community activists furious in Palm Beach County and across the state.

On Tuesday, the State Board of Education passed a revised strategic plan that says that by 2018, it wants 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, 81 percent of Hispanics and 74 percent of black students to be reading at or above grade level. For math, the goals are 92 percent of Asian kids proficient, whites at 86 percent, Hispanics at 80 percent and blacks at 74 percent. It also measures by other groupings, such as poverty and disabilities.

“To expect less from one demographic and more from another is just a little off-base,” said Juan Lopez, magnet coordinator at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beach. JFK Middle has a black student population of about 88 percent. “Our kids, although they come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, they still have the ability to learn,” Lopez said. “To dumb down the expectations for one group, that seems a little unfair.”

More: http://www.palmbeach...-by-race/nSbNt/

 

[Master slacker]

Somehow, me thinks this is the same intent as affirmative action, yes?

 

[ventilator]

Oh how I love being from Florida, the center for all of Americas dumbest news stories/ideas/actions, etc

 

[Lumber Jim]

I'm sure intentions were good at one point in the process but a statistician probably had to set some goals for the school district. It would be interesting to see what current statistics show. Is there a group that is being asked to improve more than another group??

They should probably show statistics for each group based on gender and then house hold income so that everyone can be equally offended!!

it never ends...

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

 

[IlPadrino]

^ I don't understand the cartoon... it seems to imply it's unfair for each animal to be held to the same exam. Does someone suggest that comparing across the human race is similar to comparing across the animal kindgom?

 

[IlPadrino]

They should have just made the goal to be "reduce the population not at or above grade level by X% for each race."

And the problem is defining GOALS instead of TARGETS. Some goals are considered morally wrong, even if they are unattainable. For example, who wants a safety goal of some number of mishaps? The goal should be ZERO. Then set a target for something reasonable.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

^ I don't understand the cartoon... it seems to imply it's unfair for each animal to be held to the same exam. Does someone suggest that comparing across the human race is similar to comparing across the animal kindgom?

Its based on a quote from Einstein (I think) that goes along the lines of "Everyone is a genius, but if a fish is judged on his ability to climb a tree, it will grow up thinking it is stupid.". Basically, just because we're all human, not everyone is capable of doing the same things.

 

[IlPadrino]

^ Thanks! Sounds like it might not be a real Einstein quote. I don't think it makes sense among humans. Fish are physically incapable of climbing a tree (except for maybe a rare type or two). But they can swim. And there's nothing wrong with comparing different types of fish according to how they can swim.

A much better quote, IMHO: "If I ordered a general," he would say, by way of example, "if I ordered a general to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general did not obey me, that would not be the fault of the general. It would be my fault." Who knows the source?

 

[Master slacker]

I don't know. But if a healthy mind, body, and soul human being does not learn what the VAST MAJORITY of human beings can... well... like my mom always said, "the world needs ditch diggers, too."

 

[MA_PE]

^ I don't understand the cartoon... it seems to imply it's unfair for each animal to be held to the same exam. Does someone suggest that comparing across the human race is similar to comparing across the animal kindgom?

yes.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

They should have just made the goal to be "reduce the population not at or above grade level by X% for each race."

I'd prefer race not to be an issue at all, but that's my big problem with it. It gives the impression that it is acceptable for 26% of the black population to read below grade level.

It also gives fodder to those 'black folks just aren't as smart as us white dudes' KKK types. "See? Even FL agrees!"

I think it is far better just to say 'we have a goal to increase at grade level reading population by 20% by 2018.'

 

[IlPadrino]

I don't know. But if a healthy mind, body, and soul human being does not learn what the VAST MAJORITY of human beings can... well... like my mom always said, "the world needs ditch diggers, too."

We call 'em "mouth breathers" instead of "ditch diggers" but the point is the same. Similarly, we don't *need* everyone to get a college education - it's a waste of time and money for many jobs.

 

[IlPadrino]

They should have just made the goal to be "reduce the population not at or above grade level by X% for each race."

I'd prefer race not to be an issue at all, but that's my big problem with it. It gives the impression that it is acceptable for 26% of the black population to read below grade level. It also gives fodder to those 'black folks just aren't as smart as us white dudes' KKK types. "See? Even FL agrees!" I think it is far better just to say 'we have a goal to increase at grade level reading population by 20% by 2018.'

Well, I suspect if you continue doing what you've always done, you'll continue getting the results you always got. Something about the definition of insanity...

It's a fact that some races fall behind others in education. The country would be a better place if that weren't the case. So we've got to do something different. According to Freakonomics, it's got little to do with what's done at school and almost all to do with what happens at home over the summer break.

 

[MGX]

A much better quote, IMHO: "If I ordered a general," he would say, by way of example, "if I ordered a general to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general did not obey me, that would not be the fault of the general. It would be my fault." Who knows the source?

Sounds like Sun Tzu or Sun Pin.

 

[IlPadrino]

Sounds like Sun Tzu or Sun Pin.

Much more recent...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

According to Freakonomics, it's got little to do with what's done at school and almost all to do with what happens at home over the summer break.

That's been said for decades.

The ugly truth is there has to be a massive societal change. More and more people don't value education. When parents don't value education, and the community doesn't value education, the student is doomed.

Part of the problem is that people make bad decisions in life and we, as a society, have become reluctant to condemn these bad decisions. Even something as simple as out of wedlock births. Cut even half of them, and a large part of societies problems go away.

 

[willsee]

According to Freakonomics, it's got little to do with what's done at school and almost all to do with what happens at home over the summer break.

Basically what Malcom Gladwell alludes to in "Outliers" about why Asians are smarter than Americans. They are in school longer and have shorter summer breaks. Not because they have a smart gene in their yellow pigment.

They also learn math easier due to the numbering system in Asian languages is easier to understand than English numbering system

 

[IlPadrino]

The ugly truth is there has to be a massive societal change. More and more people don't value education. When parents don't value education, and the community doesn't value education, the student is doomed.

Why "doomed"? The garbage doesn't collect itself and the hamburgers don't make themselves...

 

[IlPadrino]

Basically what Malcom Gladwell alludes to in "Outliers" about why Asians are smarter than Americans.

Or maybe I've confused Gladwell with Levitt...