About three years ago, and then again over this past Christmas break, I read a great book on higher education, Academically Adrift by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, that should be required reading for anyone involved in the college industry. The authors, along with a mountain of evidence, make the case that today’s college students just aren’t learning that much during their four years of higher education, and the fault lies equally with students, faculties, and administrations. The authors’ follow-up, Aspiring Adults Adrift, which I also read over Christmas, is also quite interesting as it explores what happens to students once they leave the academy and enter the workforce.
However, I recently finished an excellent book on what happens to students before they ever reach the university level. Amanda Ripley’s The Smartest Kids in the World (and how they got that way) is one of the most interesting books on education I’ve ever read. Ripley studies what happens in countries that have developed reputations for academic excellence, how they have made such strides, and why America hasn’t been able to follow suit (as evidenced by our embarrassingly low scores on national assessments). She offers plenty of statistical evidence, but the crux of her research is based on actual experiences of students who have spent time participating in foreign-exchange programs, studying both in America and other countries, such as Finland, South Korea, and Poland (all nations with high-performing students).
Here are a few of her most important findings:
--Wealth has almost nothing to do with academic skills or knowledge acquisition. There are many cases in which some of the poorest students in the world perform more competently than some of America’s wealthiest young people. The U.S. has the second highest investment per pupil in the world, with few positive results to show for it. So conversations about socioeconomic disadvantages or school budgets are largely unproductive.
--The proliferation of technology in classrooms has almost no effect on learning. International students have much fewer technological resources, yet they are academically stronger than Americans who inhabit schools that promote iPads, smartboards, and other expensive tools.
--A large majority of both international and U.S. students report that schools abroad are much more challenging. International students overwhelmingly agree (92%) that their time in American schools was “easier” than their schools back home. Nearly 70% of American students agree.
--International teachers were elite students themselves, since in many countries becoming a teacher is only for those that pass strenuous requirements and attend the best universities and teaching programs. Many American colleges allow anybody with at least a 2.5 GPA (only a C average) to become a teacher. Ripley cites the example of high school math teachers in America not having to major in math or take any upper division math courses to fulfill their math education requirements. This means, she writes, we have too many people who weren’t high achievers themselves trying to teach young people to become high achievers. This has also led to an overabundance of teachers, thus depressing wages because the supply exceeds the demand.
--American parents think a highly structured, densely packed schedule for kids is a good thing for learning. Parents hover over their children, giving the appearance of involvement. However, this has, in many cases, a deleterious effect on student learning. International parents are also highly participatory, but they approach their children’s schedules differently. American parents may be involved, but they are involved in the wrong ways.
--American schools are overly concerned with sports. Ripley says, “Sports, for all the value they offer, also siphon money and attention from classroom learning.”
--American teachers praise too much. While it goes without saying that praise is a positive thing, we hand it out too easily and too often. “To work,” Ripley writes, “praise must be specific, sincere, accurate—and used in moderation....Self-esteem is important, but it comes from hard work and authentic accomplishment, not flattery.”
--Rigor is the most important distinction among learning environments, be it in a classroom, throughout a school, or across a nation. International teachers, it seems, simply push students harder than American teachers do. And the work they do is more demanding.
Ripley is quite fair in her assessment, however, by pointing out some very serious problems in international education. Just because students from various countries tend to score higher on tests doesn’t mean their lives are automatically better. America has some good things going for it, too. But, it would be wise to see what is working in other countries and experiment with some of their methods here. Perhaps the biggest lesson from her book, and one I completely agree with, is that rigorous schools lead to better students. And this goes for university teaching programs, too. Education majors should be some of the smartest students at our universities, and colleges should be much more selective in their admissions to teacher education programs. If we want teaching to be a truly respected profession, only the brightest should be able to do it. And if we want our young people to compete academically across the globe, they need the brightest people inspiring them, guiding them, and pushing them on their way to success.
This is an important book for anyone involved in the field of education, from kindergarten teachers to college presidents. And parents will benefit, as well. If you believe, as I do, that we can do a better job helping our students (of all ages) learn more effectively, Ripley’s book is a useful place to start.
However, I recently finished an excellent book on what happens to students before they ever reach the university level. Amanda Ripley’s The Smartest Kids in the World (and how they got that way) is one of the most interesting books on education I’ve ever read. Ripley studies what happens in countries that have developed reputations for academic excellence, how they have made such strides, and why America hasn’t been able to follow suit (as evidenced by our embarrassingly low scores on national assessments). She offers plenty of statistical evidence, but the crux of her research is based on actual experiences of students who have spent time participating in foreign-exchange programs, studying both in America and other countries, such as Finland, South Korea, and Poland (all nations with high-performing students).
Here are a few of her most important findings:
--Wealth has almost nothing to do with academic skills or knowledge acquisition. There are many cases in which some of the poorest students in the world perform more competently than some of America’s wealthiest young people. The U.S. has the second highest investment per pupil in the world, with few positive results to show for it. So conversations about socioeconomic disadvantages or school budgets are largely unproductive.
--The proliferation of technology in classrooms has almost no effect on learning. International students have much fewer technological resources, yet they are academically stronger than Americans who inhabit schools that promote iPads, smartboards, and other expensive tools.
--A large majority of both international and U.S. students report that schools abroad are much more challenging. International students overwhelmingly agree (92%) that their time in American schools was “easier” than their schools back home. Nearly 70% of American students agree.
--International teachers were elite students themselves, since in many countries becoming a teacher is only for those that pass strenuous requirements and attend the best universities and teaching programs. Many American colleges allow anybody with at least a 2.5 GPA (only a C average) to become a teacher. Ripley cites the example of high school math teachers in America not having to major in math or take any upper division math courses to fulfill their math education requirements. This means, she writes, we have too many people who weren’t high achievers themselves trying to teach young people to become high achievers. This has also led to an overabundance of teachers, thus depressing wages because the supply exceeds the demand.
--American parents think a highly structured, densely packed schedule for kids is a good thing for learning. Parents hover over their children, giving the appearance of involvement. However, this has, in many cases, a deleterious effect on student learning. International parents are also highly participatory, but they approach their children’s schedules differently. American parents may be involved, but they are involved in the wrong ways.
--American schools are overly concerned with sports. Ripley says, “Sports, for all the value they offer, also siphon money and attention from classroom learning.”
--American teachers praise too much. While it goes without saying that praise is a positive thing, we hand it out too easily and too often. “To work,” Ripley writes, “praise must be specific, sincere, accurate—and used in moderation....Self-esteem is important, but it comes from hard work and authentic accomplishment, not flattery.”
--Rigor is the most important distinction among learning environments, be it in a classroom, throughout a school, or across a nation. International teachers, it seems, simply push students harder than American teachers do. And the work they do is more demanding.
Ripley is quite fair in her assessment, however, by pointing out some very serious problems in international education. Just because students from various countries tend to score higher on tests doesn’t mean their lives are automatically better. America has some good things going for it, too. But, it would be wise to see what is working in other countries and experiment with some of their methods here. Perhaps the biggest lesson from her book, and one I completely agree with, is that rigorous schools lead to better students. And this goes for university teaching programs, too. Education majors should be some of the smartest students at our universities, and colleges should be much more selective in their admissions to teacher education programs. If we want teaching to be a truly respected profession, only the brightest should be able to do it. And if we want our young people to compete academically across the globe, they need the brightest people inspiring them, guiding them, and pushing them on their way to success.
This is an important book for anyone involved in the field of education, from kindergarten teachers to college presidents. And parents will benefit, as well. If you believe, as I do, that we can do a better job helping our students (of all ages) learn more effectively, Ripley’s book is a useful place to start.