<p>“For example, in 1964 the First International Mathematics Study (FIMS) was administered to 13 year olds in 11 countries. The United States came in second to last. According to the World Economic Forum in Finland, FIMSers went on to turn the United States of America into the number one economic power in the world. It is a ranking we still hold today. In essence, the FIMS signaled a startling 40-year trend that holds true today, the higher a country scores in math, the worse it does in economic growth and productivity.”</p>
<p>This is from our school district newsletter, written by our superintendent. In addition to the run-on sentence (cringe), I was blown away by the idea that high math scores somehow negatively relate to/influence economic growth and productivity. In fairness, the superintendent goes on to say that he doesn’t mean to imply that test scores are irrelevant or math success is to be avoided … he offers a list of important criteria to be used in judging a school district that includes “success” of students/alumni, k-12 curriculum, community support, and district philosophy. But the connection drawn in the quote above is just too much for me to get past. I am also not sure that our economic success can be directly attributed to today’s 57 year olds. This guy is in charge of a district of more than 11,000 students (with an average ACT of 18.8).</p>
<p>Am I being overly critical? Thoughts, please …</p>
<p>Here’s what the superintendant was probably talking about. This is from the NEA website, which suggests that it has gotten a lot of play in professional educator circles:</p>
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<p>My reactions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bogus study, but I suspect that the prior and subsequent cohorts of students weren’t meaningfully better educated in math.</p></li>
<li><p>The U.S. has more income inequality than most of the other countries, too. We have a multi-tiered education system, and the elites do just fine. They have also captured most of the benefits of the high growth. I’m not so proud of that aspect of our system.</p></li>
<li><p>We have also benefitted a lot from immigrants who knew more math and science than we did. Thank heavens you can buy expertise when necessary.</p></li>
<li><p>But I’m somewhat in sympathy with the overall message: Teaching to tests doesn’t produce the ultimate outcome we want. And you don’t need everyone to be an engineer to have a productive society.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>kelsmom, it was tongue-in-cheek comment. I’d love to see the original document, but to me, a school superintendent should have used a better example if he wanted to de-emphasize test scores as the basis for determination of future success. </p>
<p>It’d be curious to find out how many of the <em>higher</em>-scoring students from the other countries ended up coming to the US and starting businesses/contributing to our economic growth.</p>
<p>BB, I did take your comment as tongue in cheek. I didn’t phrase my response correctly. :)</p>
<p>JHS, I think your post is correct. I am certain he based his comments on this article. Thank you for posting it. While I do disagree with the way the superintendent phrased it … at least I understand why he pointed this out in the way that he did. In other words, what I construe as his flaws in thinking are shared by others. </p>
<p>I know that I am hypercritical of our district, and I have to be careful sometimes because of that fact. I moved my kids to other schools in high school (older) and middle school (younger) because I didn’t think they were getting the kind of education I expected they should receive. Because both kids did Midwest Talent Search testing early, I feel like I have a good basis for comparison between the district school & subsequent schools. Both kids scored far higher within their peer cohorts after being at their new schools for a couple years than they had initially. I have shared this info with the superintendent. I think I may be taking the whole “tests aren’t all that important” stuff a bit too personally, as a result. I know it has nothing to do with ME … but I am still sensitive to it.</p>
<p>Of course, the thing that led to my kids scoring higher was a superior curriculum, IMO. That is on the superintendent’s list of important factors in student success!</p>
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