Comments on: A whopping 19 out of 20 principals were replaced in the Houston experiment

By: David Foster

David Foster — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:43:46 +0000

“I watched a YouTube video on NetFlix. They have empirical proof that introducing one unmotivated or substandard person into a group of excellence drags the whole team down to quite a large degree”

There was a study showing that *one* disruptive person in a classroom can have a lifetime negative impact on the earnings of other students. There are some issues with the way the study was done, but that was probably the best they could do with the data that was available.

Shadeburst, do you remember the name of the video you referenced?

By: Szopen

Szopen — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:41:26 +0000

Shadeburst, I haven’t seen it, but I absolutely can believe it.

By: Shadeburst

Shadeburst — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 12:46:23 +0000

Szopen, I watched a YouTube video on NetFlix. They have empirical proof that introducing one unmotivated or substandard person into a group of excellence drags the whole team down to quite a large degree, twenty per cent or am I making this number up. Introducing one excellent person into a mediocre group works well in a combat team where it is called stiffening, but apparently not so much in business.

By: McChuck

McChuck — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 20:37:57 +0000

How to improve schools rapidly:
Segregate schools by race and sex. Establish and maintain discipline.

Teach the students appropriately to their abilities. Girls mature faster than boys. Blacks learn more slowly, but are good at memorizing. Give the smart kids separate classes. Hold everyone to a high but not unrealistic expectation.

By: bomag

bomag — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:17:06 +0000

Assessment scores increased by 0.15 to 0.18 standard deviations in a year. In layman’s terms, under this program, there is potential to close the math achievement gap between black and white students in less than three years.

Rather innumerate as written. If all scores increase, no gap is closed. And intelligence gains don’t grow linearly forever.

Really is a big mistake to concentrate on “closing the gap.” Should work on educating everyone to a baseline level; and let the high achievers soar high into the sky, and be happy for that.

By: szopen

szopen — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:38:49 +0000

got rid of HIM, dammit. I hate when I notice such stupid errors seconds after I click “submit”

By: szopen

szopen — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:37:44 +0000

My intuition tells me “bright” students gain the most when they are put in classes with other “bright” students, with all the disruptive assholes removed. In my son’s school there was a kid who was toxic waste, seriously. He beat other kids, disrupted class, called teachers names. The process of his removal lasted a long time, because it seems that school, suprisingly, has now not that many tools to discipline such hools. When finally they got rid of them (don’t know the details), average grades rised almost instantly.

By: Mike-SMO

Mike-SMO — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:49:22 +0000

Definitely interested in how this will work out over time. I would like to see a detailed break-out of the results. “Bright” students will probably do well, no matter what regime they experience. The gains will probably be in “marginal” students who need some guidance. Were the true “defectives” and ” uncontrollable” students culled from the group using disciplinary or absenteeism criteria? I would expect there to be an “under-class” who could not tolerate the classroom environment. If the distractions of such an “under-class” were eliminated, many of the “marginals” have a chance to learn. Documenting the “under-class” by race would be very useful. Replacing deficient principals ( and teachers) probably made a big difference.

By: Contaminated NEET

Contaminated NEET — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:47:01 +0000

OK, now give all the White kids intensive one-on-one tutoring and tell me the results.

Oh, the “gap” only “closes” when you pour resources into your favored group and deny them to your rivals? Wow, very impressive.

By: Ezra

Ezra — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 19:38:57 +0000

Arnold is right. Not so much poor principals and teachers but poor students. A don’t care attitude for the most part. Sounds like Michelle Rhee in Wash D.C. Big expectations but then slow but sure fade out. Michelle got a strong dose of Rhee-ality.