Outsell Inc. :: Thinking Out Loud – Education » 2009

Where all the children are gifted

By Lisa Abrams - Cambridge, MA - on January 28, 2009

Parents of high school students in Farifax County Virginia are up in arms over the score their kids have to maintain to get an A in their classes. Unlike neighboring communities where a 90 gets you an A, in Fairfax County an A starts four points higher, at 94. These four points, parents argue, make it appear to college admissions officers that there kids are only B+ students when they’d rate an A in a neighboring community.

And the difference of four points, they maintain to the school district keeps their kids from getting into good colleges and winning merit scholarships and similar awards. The superintendent ordered a study to see how the “tough” grading policy affects students; and, as a result modest changes were made to the grading system…even though it wasn’t proven that this would help high school seniors get into better colleges.

I get that college is really competitive and I get that parents want the best for their kids. I also get that in this high powered suburb, parents are unlikely to have tuition payment worries and that the high school likely boasts a number of electives while students in nearby DC don’t have enough textbooks. I get, as one teenager told me recently, that I’d “never get admitted to that college you went to 20 years ago if you applied now. Life is so much harder!”

But seriously, is dumbing down the way to go? What lesson is being taught here? If these kids are learning that they can change the rules so more of them get As, where are the lessons in reliance? Where is the lesson that no, life is not always fair? The playing field really isn’t level, the Constitution doesn’t promise happiness and there really isn’t a Santa Claus.

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Is more money really going to make a difference?

By Lisa Abrams - Cambridge, MA - on January 21, 2009

Over the past several weeks (and especially in the past week or so) there have been many inches in the press devoted to President Obama’s stimulus package and what it means for education. Millions of dollars are allocated (though not yet distributed) for construction, technology and student services. I don’t want to rain on the parade exactly, nor am I discounting the benefit that these dollars could bring to burdened school districts.

Still, I am skeptical that this stimulus is the answer to the very real problems facing schools. Putting more computers in classrooms, for example, is not going to make the broadband connection better, or necessarily bring up test scores, or make students more creative and innovative thinkers who will be able to tackle the reverberating results of the recession that we are currently experiencing. I don’t see a history of specific uses for infusions of money that include measurement of outcomes that convinces me that the money will be well spent. What I do see are many institutions in real budgetary pain competing for a pool of dollars that may not make a real difference in the end.

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Fewer choices for students lead to hard decisions

By Lisa Abrams - Cambridge, MA - on January 19, 2009

Two recent articles in the New York Times and Forbes detailed trends that spell difficulty for students. In one, a study based on numbers school self report to the federal government, the conclusion was that the share of education budgets that goes to actual instruction has declined while the share for administration and support increased. The result is that while school tuition is increasing, financial aid is decreasing and students are covering more of the cost of instruction.

A second article reported a significant uptick in army recruitment – not uncommon in economic hard times. In this case, many potential recruits are specifically mentioning the unaffordablity of higher education as the motivation for enlisting. Recruiters are even seeing older applicants – in their 30s — who are not traditionally among those who apply. Both new high school graduates and downsized workers are seriously considering the army and its educational opportunities as option.

THere will always be a population of students who can afford postsecondary school but for the large majority of students, there are fewer choices and for them the education industry as it has been traditionally run is broken. The key for content and technology providers is to realize that students and their circumstances are not the same as the were 20 years ago and to adapt their offerings to where students are and what they can afford.

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Microsoft, Intel and Cisco Join to Establish Technology Assessments

By Lisa Abrams - Cambridge, MA - on January 14, 2009

Yesterday these companies announced a project aimed at establishing global education assessments in technology to insure that current students will be capable and adept at the skills required in 21st century employment. These three companies called on educators, corporations and governments to join them in this project, which has received support of major international assessment organizations such as OECD and the International Association of the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

Their plan is detailed, the goals are lofty and the need is clearly apparent. Assessment is also a “hot topic” and one Outsell will be covering in 2009. What remains to be seen is how the execution will work on the country level. Or in the case of the United States, on the state level. The assessment system in the US is so variable from state to state and within states, among the various districts that getting everyone on the same page is a daunting task. Just this week the Boston Globe touted Massachusetts’ students scores on a technology assessment exam. Clearly this isn’t seen as a country wide initiative so much as a one at the state level and experience shows that in these types of cases, several states fall way behind their more well funded neighbors.

Outsell eagerly awaits the outcomes of this project. An agreement on how to measure skills would be a big win as well as, of course, a legitimate testing instrument to measure them. Agreement among the school districts to administer the test and report results — along with a way to bring up failing schools would have to follow.

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Kudo’s to Kaplan for their TV Ad

By Harry Henry - Oceanside, California - on January 7, 2009

While watching TV last night an ad caught my attention (which is unusual for me unless it was SuperBowl ads).

An actor portraying a college prof walks into a traditional looking college lecture hall. He is a character actor I’ve seen before but can’t recall the name. Great stage presence. The room is silent and in a commanding voice announces that he is there to apologize. To apologize for letting them down. Apologize for the insitution letting them down. He has not enabled them to learn. He has tried to teach them in a traditional manner and not allowed them to learn as they can.

Stunned silence.

Then the ad goes on to a series of clips with compelling theme music showing students in various locations interacting with a variety of laptops, cell phones, PDA’s, iPhone looking devices etc. And concludes with Kaplan’s logo and voice over about the educational experience with them. Reminds me of the educational YouTube videos put out by the Kansas State folks.

It is a grabber. More compelling than any other higher ed ad I’ve seen.

Well done, Kaplan.

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Who's thinking out loud?

Archive for January, 2009

Where all the children are gifted

Is more money really going to make a difference?

Fewer choices for students lead to hard decisions

Microsoft, Intel and Cisco Join to Establish Technology Assessments

Kudo’s to Kaplan for their TV Ad

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