Strong educational practices, not demographics or organizational philosophies, most affect middle school test scores, a survey of more than 300 California schools found. Study finds, strong educational practices most affect middle school test scores.
Forget the oft-debated issue of whether middle-schoolers are better off in a separate school or in a K-8 environment.
The real things that improve their test scores have more to do with educational practices than school structure, according to a major new study that examined middle grades in California.
The study, conducted by researchers at EdSource and Stanford University in California tried to get at the question of why some schools do so much better than others, despite similar student populations. And its findings reinforce some of the educational priorities of the Obama administration, which is pushing to make “college- and career-ready” standards the new hot item, and is advocating a much greater emphasis on teacher accountability and improved student performance.
“If you’re not on a college-ready track by 9th grade, your chances of getting on one are very low,” says Michael Kirst, an education professor at Stanford and a principal investigator on the study. “A strong theme here that comes out is the importance, at the middle-grades level, of early intervention and getting students back on track as soon as possible.”
Researchers looked at the concrete practices of more than 300 schools, some serving middle-income students and some serving lower-income students, to determine which ones led to higher test scores. They found a clear correlation between student performance and a school-wide focus on achievement, an emphasis on long-term educational success, a willingness to set measurable goals and evaluate educators based on student performance, and curriculum that’s aligned with high standards, among other practices.
Read more: Trendy doesn't work in middle school education, study finds
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment