This is a fascinating discussion with Robert Pianta, dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, who recently conducted a study showing what social scientists have said for at least half a century: Family income makes a greater difference than whether a school is public or private.
His study implies the absurdity of ranking schools by test scores, since what you are actually doing is rewarding schools where the socioeconomic status of families is high and punishing those that educate poor kids by labeling them as “failing.”
Here is an abstract of the study, which is behind a paywall:
Abstract
By tracking longitudinally a sample of American children (n = 1,097), this study examined the extent to which enrollment in private schools between kindergarten and ninth grade was related to students’ academic, social, psychological, and attainment outcomes at age 15. Results from this investigation revealed that in unadjusted models, children with a history of enrollment in private schools performed better on nearly all outcomes assessed in adolescence. However, by simply controlling for the sociodemographic characteristics that selected children and families into these schools, all of the advantages of private school education were eliminated. There was also no evidence to suggest that low-income children or children enrolled in urban schools benefited more from private school enrollment.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yes, key consistent finding, SES/family income/social class count most as factors in children’s school achievement. SAT scores also line up in ascending order based on ascending family income of the kids. In addition, British scholar Michael Marmot in ‘The Status Syndrome’ also reports that social class is the strongest factor vis a vis longevity and risk of illness, early research on the primacy of social class as a factor in health and lifespan created new line of studies in ’90s.
the frustration for veteran teachers in the last decade and a half is that they could have collectively argued this very point when the “we must have higher test scores” reformers started to invade and disrupt poorest schools — had anyone wished to LISTEN
ciedie aech Too busy teaching . . . despite their situation. CBK
One of the problems with so-called reform is that there is not a shred of evidence to support any of the assumptions under which it operates. We are underwriting the destruction of our public schools based on bias and false assumptions. We are allowing our most vulnerable students to be “play things” for the wealthy under the guise of “improvement.” Yet, research continues to inform us that privatization is a big lie as it does not benefit the neediest students. It only benefits the wealthy that want to transfer the value of our public education dollars into their own pockets.
Thank you, retired teacher.
“We are underwriting the destruction of our public schools based on bias and false assumptions.”
Infidelity to truth, eh, RT!
Using test scores to evaluate schools and teachers is wrong and immoral, but there is no arguing with test scores when they show that private schools aren’t any better than public schools. Do I have that right?
Here is a non-paywalled link to the study. Oddly amid all the standardized testing and measuring the study didn’t seem to examine family preference and satisfaction with private school, wonder why
http://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/default+domain/XfYmtC25VddcCfbA3xiV/full
Parents are satisfied with terrible schools, where their children learn science from the Bible.
Parents are satisfied with schools that teach racism, homophobia, and other forms of hatred.
If that is all that interests you, you came to the wrong blog.
Tim,
Bill Gates is very happy with the highly exclusive and expensive Lakeside school. His style of ed reform for the rest of the country (which takes community money and gives it to hedge funds, tech tyrants and grifters) is rejected by schools like Lakeside. Unfortunate for the common good, Gates spends money to defeat judges who make decisions favorable to public schools. Unfortunate for the common good, Gates has the political clout ($) to enact Betsy DeVos’ goal of dividing the country through schools segregated by race and religion.
@Tim: That is an interesting study! There is a mountain of empirical evidence, that shows conclusively, that school choice works to improve school performance, in both public and non-public schools.
Wealthy families, who send their children to well-funded schools (both public and non-public), generally get better results, than poor families who send their children to terrible, underfunded schools.
Stop the presses.
News flash: wealthy families’ children get high test scores whether they attend public schools or private schools.
“There is a mountain of empirical evidence, that shows conclusively, that school choice works to improve school performance, in both public and non-public schools.”
Hogwash!
Please inform us of that “mountain of empirical evidence”?
Oh, and please explain what is considered to be ’empirical evidence’.
It is a big relief to see this study include more than measures of math and ELA…the all too typical fare in Educational Researcher.
It is also good to see a summary prepared for broader audience that other researchers.
Although closely correlated with family income (but not always), the level of education of the parent(s) also plays an important role. Although closely correlated with educational status (but not always), intelligence is a genetic factor that certainly cannot be ignored.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-intelligence-hereditary/
And though many here (myself included) deride over-testing, bad tests, and the misuse of test scores, there is a strong correlation between GPA and standardized test scores.
“Although closely correlated with educational status (but not always), intelligence is a genetic factor that certainly cannot be ignored.”
Unless you can define it, I can ignore it.
“intelligence is a genetic factor that certainly cannot be ignored”…..this is certainly the whole basis of the whole eugenics movement and what is keeping this testing madness in place. The correlation between GPA and standardized test scores is nothing more than children living middle class and above compared to children living in poverty. If you are quoting from Scientific American, maybe they need to start using ALL the data…..unless they are purposely printing dis- information for a purpose? FAKE news….FAKE science. It never ends!
It is no accident that charters with the highest scores are those attended by affluent students, and the same can be said about public schools. The socio-economic status of a family has a big impact on students’ scores on standardized tests. As Pasi Sahlberg has said, “American does not have an education problem; it has a poverty problem.”
Poverty exists not because we can’t afford to feed/clothe/house/educate the poor, but because we can’t satisfy the rich.
“Poverty exists not because we can’t afford to feed/clothe/house/educate the poor, but because we can’t satisfy the rich.”
OMG, that’s so on target! I might have to steal that!
Diane There is a wealth of research and networking connected with the National Literacy Association aaace-nla aaace-nla@googlegroups.com and several related Adult Education organizations on the integrated relationship between family and school. The connection between these and K-12 could be strengthened to everyone’s advantage. For instance, a recently posted note from PAAC (Public Policy Advocacy Committee) about the drop in GED and high school equivalency since 2012, including a state-by-state map.
https://hechingerreport.org/ged-and-other-high-school-equivalency-degrees-drop-by-more-than-40-nationwide-since-2012/
And here is a CITATIONS page from a recent note (T. Stitcht) about inter-generational learning.
LiCalsi, C., Ozek, U., & Figlio, D. (2017, October 17). The Uneven Implementation of Universal School Policies: Maternal Education and Florida’s Mandatory Grade Retention Policy. :Posted online at: https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/edfp_a_00252
Sticht, T. (1994). Workplace Literacy Programs for Ten Manufacturing Companies In The Chicago, Illinois Area: A Report of Process and Outcomes. In: Mrowicki, L., et al, (1994). Workplace Literacy in a Total Quality Management Environment for the Manufacturing Industry in Chicago and Northern Illinois. Final Performance Report. Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington, DC. (Available online with Google search).
Van Fossen, S. and Sticht, T. (1991, July). Teach the mother and reach the child: results of the intergenerational literacy action research project of Wider Opportunities for Women. Washington, DC: Wider Opportunities for Women. (not available online)
Sticht, T. & McDonald, B. (1990). Teach the Mother and Reach the Child: Literacy Across Generations. UNESCO: International Bureau of Education, Geneva.
Resources calling for policies in support of adult literacy education for parents as a means of improving the educability of their children:
Sticht, T. (2011, Fall). Getting It Right from the Start: The Case for Early Parenthood Education American Educator, p35-39. (Available online at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ943722
Sticht, T. (2010, Fall). Educated Parents, Educated Children: Toward a Multiple Life Cycles Education Policy. Education Canada, Vol. 50. (Available online at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ918849
Reblogged this on What's Gneiss for Education and commented:
and one more for the “Duh!” file.
or the NSS* file!
*No sh1t Sherlock
There certainly is no surprise in his research. When I started teaching in 1966 we already knew that the parent’s income and the wealth of the schools their kids attended determined the kids’ success. Wealthy people lived in rich suburbs, which had well funded schools from the taxes on their expensive houses, they had the best facilities, the best teachers, and the highest student success rates. Politicians argued that the funding of education didn’t matter, that poor kids had less success because their teachers weren’t doing their jobs. From there began the attacks on teachers, teacher tenure, and even public schools. I still believe the best solution is for the state to put the equal funding into each student, with “special education getting extra funding” and outlaw any additional outside funding, and require that charter and other private schools also not spend more than the state’s basic grant. Then watch what the oligarchs do.
On a different but related note:
Donnie and Mitch Send Their Thoughts and Prayers to the Poor as They Turn Their Attention to Gutting Social Security and Medicare
The day after the big tax cut for wealthy people and corporations was enacted, Trump had dinner with a bunch of wealthy pals at Mar-a-Lago and said, “I’ve just given you all a big fat Christmas present.
Now, when it has become clear that those tax cuts would create an ENORMOUS deficit because federal revenues are down by 30 percent, Mitch McConnell has called for “reforming entitlements like Social Security and Medicare” to deal with those deficits. YUP. That’s his plan: Take from the poor and senior citizens to compensate for those tax breaks for the wealthy. But that was the plan all along, wasn’t it?
For some reason, many poor white people in the Un-tied States continue to vote for these people. Why? Because they haven’t a clue what these people are doing. If they did, they would boot them out in a heart beat.
Make no mistake about it, if the Republican Party wins in the Midterms, this is precisely what they will do. They will cut your Social Security and Medicare. Better hope you retire rich.
Interestingly, Mitch McConnell’s home state of Kentucky has one of the worst economies in the country. On an index that factors in unemployment rate, job growth, per-capita GDP, GDP growth, average weekly wages, and wage growth, it is 47th among the 50 states. Not dead last, but close. And yet the people of this state, among the country’s poorest, continue to VOTE AGAINST THEMSELVES–like a hunter who repeatedly shoots himself in the foot. But that’s not the worst of it. The rest of us end up being collateral damage.
It’s becoming quite clear that these man-children intend to keep pushing their toy until it breaks. I don’t want that for my country. Do you?
Then vote.
http://fortune.com/2018/10/16/mitch-mcconnell-us-budget-deficit/
Hard to watch–but everyone should–PBS’ 2 hour “American Experience” that was on Monday or Tuesday night (you can see it on pbs.org). Heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, those who need to see it the most probably will not (e.g. Bill Gates, Betsy DeVos…the usual crowd of oppressors, liars & thieves…)
They could (probably do) wear jackets that say, “I don’t care. Do you?”