Archive for September 15th, 2008

The Dark Side II

Published by Robert Pondiscio on September 15, 2008 in Assessment and Testing, Education Practice and Research and Reports. 0 Comments

Well over half of high school students admit to serious test cheating and plagiarism, leading one academic to pilot a program to promote “academic honesty.”  Jason Stephens, described as “a rising star in the field of academic dishonesty,” by the Hartford Courant, wants to let students and teachers “come up with a strategic plan to promote academic honesty in their school and encourage teachers to emphasize learning over simply acing tests and getting a good GPA,” the paper reports. 

An assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, Stephens has launched a pilot project to test his theory at six Connecticut high schools– two in a wealthy suburb, two in a middle-class neighborhood and two urban schools.  Half of the schools are working on Stephens’ anti-cheating program, half are control groups.  Stephens hopes his work leads to the development of a toolkit for high schools nationwide to combat the cheating epidemic among students.

Virtually all of them are cheating because the pressure of having good grades is extraordinary, more so now today than 20 to 30 years ago.  It’s not because these kids are morally bad. It’s because the stakes are higher and the time is less…It’s not enough to get a 4.0 grade point average. It’s also being involved in a varsity sport, volunteering in the community, maybe having a part-time job – along with the social lives these kids live.

Seen through this lens, cheating is something of a time management exercise.  “Most kids see that as wrong,” Stephens says.  “The sad thing is that most kids do it anyway.”

It all sounds noble and good, but color me skeptical that you can get a lot of traction for a program that downplays grades at competitive schools.

The Dark Side of High Achievement

Published by Robert Pondiscio on September 15, 2008 in Education Leadership and Education Practice. 0 Comments

Is there room for average students at a high-achieving school?  An open letter on ednews.org from an anonymous parent calling himself John Dewey to the Principal of Langley High School, McLean, Virginia, takes exception to that principal’s assertion that the “middle child” – unexceptional academically or in extracurricular activities -may not be happy at his school.

Langley is widely considered one of the top public high schools in the country.  A new principal, Matthew Ragone, has just come on board and wrote a piece in the school’s newsletter.

One topic of discussion has been the concept of the ‘Middle Child’.  The ‘Middle Child” is the type of student who does not feel at home at Langley because, while they may be smart and academically focused, they are not academically superior like many of their peers.  Nor are they outstanding in extracurricular activities.  This student does not enjoy the prospect of coming to school to face the intense competition, which is ubiquitous in excellent schools, only to be disappointed.

There is no simple answer to this problem.  In my ideal world every student will walk through the front door on September 2 with an exuberant, positive attitude and feel comfortable and be happy throughout the entire year.  Of course that does not happen.  As we start the school year, the Instructional Council will open dialogue with the general faculty and I will talk with parents at PTSA meetings and parent coffees to solicit your input and ideas.  As the discussion continues with all the stakeholders, I am confident we will find a way to serve the ‘Middle Child’.”

Dewey’s advice to principal Rangone:  “Your message should be ‘There are no middle children here. Every child matters; every child is as important as the next.’ And you should mean it. You should provide a culture in which students who aren’t getting the material are identified and the school works with them after school or in special sessions to make sure they understand.”

Dewey, however, does not expect his plea to be heard.  “My experience tells me that Mr. Ragone is not going to be persuaded to change one thing about Langley except perhaps to make things even more competitive, reduce the number of top performers, and make the middle of the bell curve even larger,” he writes. “Isn’t that the name of the game in the ‘winner takes all’ environment that passes for high quality education these days?”

In fairness to Rangone, his missive sounds like he’s concerned (if inartfully so) about the middle child, not suggesting to parents that they go elsewhere. 

(Hat tip: Kitchen Table Math and Joanne Jacobs)