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2006-03-30 Home Front: Culture Wars

Schools Apparently Need To Teach More Statistics

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Posted by Anonymoose 2006-03-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 One point does not a statistic make.

How many data points are there? What's the actual ratio above:below? What is the curve? Can you fit a line to the data points? What is the mean point?

All of this information is missing from the data set and only after you have a data set can you actually make a statistical analysis of the data.

"There's lies, damn lies, and statistics" (M Twain as I recall)

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2006-03-30 00:15|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2006-03-30 00:15|| Front Page Top

#2 THIS should be required reading in the required statistics course, heh.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-03-30 02:35|| 2006-03-30 02:35|| Front Page Top

#3 Seems to me that if a school is already doing well, it is a lot harder to improve than if a school is doing poorly, so insisting that everybody improve doesn't make much sense.

Counterintuitive, but true. "Good schools" are generally good because they get good students. Teachers don't have to work hard (and don't) because students know the material already or have parents who will see that they learn. "Poor schools" are those where the teacher's primary concern is personal saftey and the students' is getting out. Out of which do you think would be easier to get improvement?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-03-30 07:46|| 2006-03-30 07:46|| Front Page Top

#4 Paint me as a skeptic. I still remember High School and my fellow classmates. There were those with aptitude and those without. Even those with aptitude didnt necessarily have the motivation to actually work. No amount of government funding as amply demonstrated by various welfare programs will succeed in anything but the lowest common denominator when you leave out the critical factor that the individual has to actively participate in the program. Why do so many children from Asian and Jewish background consistently score higher on testing? Maybe its because the culture for literally thousands of years has impress the value of education as a means to survive if not advance in life. Look at the discrete groups in the lower scoring category and check whether their culture stresses education to the extent the aforementioned groups have done?

No child left behind? Bullhockey. You dont screw over 80 percent in the name of 20 percent. Make it plain and simple. Dont participate, dont advance. Theres a lot of difference between removing obstacles and just hand carrying people through life. Poverty sucks. Low life expectancy and less than enjoyable conditions. Your choice. Work in school or work the ditches or, in most cases, the corner moving unregulated pharmaceuticals. A short mean brutish lifestyle awaits. Time for that message to be sent into the classrooms.

Posted by Glailing Clomble9233 2006-03-30 09:23|| 2006-03-30 09:23|| Front Page Top

#5 http://www.despair.com/potential.html

Sez it all.

Posted by BrerRabbit 2006-03-30 09:42|| 2006-03-30 09:42|| Front Page Top

#6 Asian and Jewish families are also usually two-parent and non-violent. Our teachers are put in untenable positions trying to teach such disparate and diverse students as are in the classroom today. We have had nearly an entire town pull their children out of public school to home educate after a huge influx of non-English speakers came north to work and flooded the classroom. Our local community schools also allow students to go as far as they can, allowing sixth graders to take calculus at the high school level if they have the aptitude so no one is drug down by others. If the school doesn't offer the course at a secondary level, the student may take it at the college level on the district. Tracking and segregating slower students is often criticized as discrininatory but you simply can't teach if you have 100+ languages in a school district! Many special needs kids are hands-on learners and don't do well with current clasroom teaching styles. Those without the aptitude to do college prep coursework really need apprenticeships to learn job skills. I'm thinking we need to rethink the public school system as one size doesn't fit all and failing schools serve no one well.

Posted by Danielle 2006-03-30 12:08|| 2006-03-30 12:08|| Front Page Top

#7 Parents are a much bigger factor in children's education than are schools. There are bad schools when local parents accept them. There are good schools when local parents demand them.

The children of involved parents do better in good schools and in bad schools.

When good parents are stuck in bad districts they force home learning or find private alternatives.

Vouchers are a threat to school establishments because they give good parents options and force school districts to pay attention to people who would otherwise simply be gadflies.

Posted by DoDo 2006-03-30 12:43|| 2006-03-30 12:43|| Front Page Top

#8 No school administrator left behind.

Posted by Perfesser 2006-03-30 15:18|| 2006-03-30 15:18|| Front Page Top

#9 All the money for the kids who can't perform. Keep the special needs kids in regular classes where they can't get the one-on-one they need and allow the disruptions to hinder everyone else.

Too many "special" kids in the wrong setting. Too many bright kids being ignored and not taught with attention because they are not "special".

The idea of sugar-loaded dummies with no parental concern for education or desire taking all the focus, bucks and attention is annoying.

I don't know about the US experience, but the Canadian one is as I've stated.

Three teacher assistants for a wheelchair student with the mentality of a 4 year old in a Grade 6 class. The school says there is no money for books for the library.

but they do have to fund the 3 assisants for this child. Who screams and lashes out for the entire school day, despite the 3 assistants. The rest of the class - who can understand when they can hear through the noise,have a frustrated and exhausted teacher. And they learn that the gorp has more rights than them.

The teacher, though, is on the side of the gorp. Can't check the effectiveness of teaching in this class. Job safe forever.

Posted by Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-03-30 19:57|| 2006-03-30 19:57|| Front Page Top

#10 My father used to say
"Be very careful with statistics and averages. Think of a man with one foot on a block of ice, and the other foot on a hot stove, on the average, he's comfortable."

Posted by Redneck Jim 2006-03-30 23:33|| 2006-03-30 23:33|| Front Page Top

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