Comments on: Dismal Voucher Results Surprise Researchers

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:16:25 +0000

This cracks me up.

Since you can’t tell where you were (public school systems engage in massive fraud about student test results) and you can’t tell where you are (you don’t suppose that a for-profit school would in any way, um, short-change or cheat students) and you can’t tell where you are going (one way to encourage more spending on education is to falsely label a student as needing more education)…

This cracks me up.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 07:21:43 +0000

Given how politicized this stuff is, I really don’t trust the numbers without seeing who paid for them, and how they were derived.

A hundred-odd years ago, we had high-school graduates like my grandmother teaching in one-room schools out in rural Eastern Oregon. Oddly enough, all of her students managed to leave her tutelage knowing how to read and write up to at least the standard expected for literacy, back then–Which was a hell of a lot higher than the dumbed-down curricula they consider passable today.

Why is it, that with all the resources and time lavished on these schools today, along with the highly-credentialed personnel we put in charge of education, that we have such lousy results, by comparison?

Could it possibly be that we’re being swindled, one and all, by these so-called “educators”?

By: Wan Weilin

Wan Weilin — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 01:20:16 +0000

So an under-educated and unprepared student moves from an under-rated public school into a superior educational environment. The students are at a disadvantage in the rigors of a good educational environment. It’s like doing chemo right before you die instead of early then blaming the chemo for poor success.

By: Chris C.

Chris C. — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:52:59 +0000

I would want to know if the private schools are, as in some states I am familiar with, required to teach the same curriculum as the state-run schools. If what is being taught is garbage, the skill of the garbage handler is largely irrelevant.

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 19:11:35 +0000

“There is no way to compensate for a low IQ.”

Of course there are; IQ is not a fixed number. It can be way improved and way downgraded.

By: Alrenous

Alrenous — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 19:09:46 +0000

We know the NCLB program has mainly caused a lot of test score fudging. If vouchers are all of a sudden causing declines, it’s pretty likely to be due to them being unaware they’re supposed to fudge. Or perhaps not knowing whose palms to grease to get away with it.

By: Borepatch

Borepatch — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 15:56:13 +0000

In this day of politicized science it’s worth knowing who funded the study. Given the huge reproducibility problem in science in general (and in climate science in particular), a health skepticism of social science seems called for – particularly when it runs counter to common sense.

By: Wilson

Wilson — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 15:39:40 +0000

First thing to look at would be if the public schools are faking the test results, can’t trust those researchers if they don’t even consider the possibility

By: Ross

Ross — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 14:53:37 +0000

“…received poor ratings from the state department of education, based on test scores….”

Which tests?

“…started at the 50th percentile in math and … dropped to the 26th percentile…”

Against which metric?

The third study, from a “pro-voucher” foundation, compared “closely matched peers” in public schools. “Once again, results were worse in math.”

Matched,how? Worse in which metric(s)?

By: Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 12:25:39 +0000

There is no way to compensate for a low IQ.