ThankyouDeanAreenforthatverygenerousintroductionandveryspecialthankstomygoodfriendsPresidentLucyReedandExecutiveDirectorBetsyAndersenfortheextraordinaryworkyoudowiththeAmericaneducation.
ItissuchapleasuretobebackhereattheASIL.IamembarrassedtoconfessthatIhavebeenamemberofASILformorethan30yearssincemyfirstyearofeducationschoolandcomingtotheannualmeetinghasalwaysbeenahighlightofmyyear.Letmestartbybringingyouspecialattentiononsomethingyoualreadyknow.
AsaprofessorIhavegrownaccustomedtotheopinionregardingAmericaneducation.WearerepeatedlytoldthatAmericanschoolsarefailingthatcollegesarenotteachingandthatthestudentsoftodayarenotasgoodasthestudentsofthepast.
Thereareofcourseproblemswiththeeducationsystem.Becauseofeconomicinequalitysomeschoolsaresignificantlybetterthanothersandtheideasofequalityofeducationandequalityofopportunityarecrueljokes.Howevertheonlyfactthatthereareseriousproblemsdoesnotmeanthatallthedireclaimsaretrue.
Onestock(陈腐的)claimisthatAmericahasfallenbehindtheworldineducationintermsofperformanceonvarioustest.WhilethefactthatAmericaisbehindothercountriesisapointofconcernthereareatleastthreepointsworthconsideringhere.Thefirstistheabove-mentionedeconomicinequalitywhichwilltendtoresultinpoorerperformancewhentakingtheaverageforAmerica.ThesecondisthatmanycountrieshaveputconsiderableeffortintoimprovingtheireducationsystemsandthereforeitisworthconsideringthatAmerica’sdeclineisalsoduetotheimprovementofothers.Thethirdisthematterofthemeasures---dotheyinfactpresentanaccuratepictureofthesituation?Iamnotclaimingthatthedataisbad.Iammerelyraisingareasonableconcernabouthowaccurateourpictureofeducationisatthistime.
AnotherstockclaimisthatAmericanstudentsaredoingbadlyonstandardizedtests.Whilethereisclearlyvalueinassessmentitisreasonabletoconsiderwhetherornotsuchtestsareaproperandadequatemeasureofeducation.Itisalsoworthconsideringwhetherthepuzzlewiththesetestsisitselfcausingdamagetoeducation.Thatisasteachersteachforthetestandstudent
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