excellence and excellence gaps in american schools

Excellence and Excellence Gaps in American Schools

Jonathan PluckerMay 20, 2014EWA National SymposiumNashville, Tennessee

THE 21ST CENTURY

The 21st Century …

… is clearly proving to be a brave new world where skills and talents that previously helped us achieve success need to be rethought.

Who Gets U.S. Patents?

20132010

20072004

20011998

19951992

19891986

19831980

19771974

19711968

19650

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

Utility Patent Grants, U.S. Origin Utility Patent Grants, Foreign Origin

EXCELLENCE IN THE U.S. AND OTHER COUNTRIES

Percent of Advanced Scores (625+) on TIMSS Math Assessments

Percent of Advanced Scores (625+) on TIMSS Science Assessments

Percent of Advanced Scores (625+) on TIMSS Grade 4 Reading Assessment

Percent of Students Scoring Advanced on 2011 NAEP Grade 4 Math

Percent of Students Scoring Advanced on 2011 NAEP Grade 8 Math

Percent of Students Scoring Advanced on 2011 NAEP Grade 4 Reading

Percent of Students Scoring Advanced on 2011 NAEP Grade 8 Reading

Why Excellence Gaps?

Minimum Competency vs. Excellence Gaps by State

Blue: Minimum competency gapMaroon: Excellence gap

Talent on theSidelines Results

NAEP % Advanced Reading Grade 4 - Race/Ethnicity

NAEP % Advanced Reading Grade 8 - Race/Ethnicity

NAEP % Advanced Math Grade 4 - Race/Ethnicity

NAEP % Advanced Math Grade 8 - Race/Ethnicity

22.3

NAEP % Advanced Math Grade 4 - SES

NAEP % Advanced Math Grade 8 - SES

Poverty

Poverty, Poverty, Poverty

DeNavas-Walt, Carmen, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-239, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC,2011 .

Child Poverty Rates in Industrialized Countries

Icelan

d

Finlan

d

Netherlands

German

yFra

nce

Hungary UK

Canad

aJap

an Italy US

Romania

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

ReportedBefore benefits

Source: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (2012), ‘Measuring Child Poverty: New league tables of child poverty in the world’s rich countries’, Innocenti Report Card 10, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence.

Child Poverty Rates in Industrialized Countries

Icelan

d

Finlan

d

Netherlands

German

yFra

nce

Hungary UK

Canad

aJap

an Italy US

Romania

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

ReportedBefore benefits

Source: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (2012), ‘Measuring Child Poverty: New league tables of child poverty in the world’s rich countries’, Innocenti Report Card 10, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence.

State-by-State …

States with over 50% of students eligible for FRL: 17States with over 40% of students eligible: 35Range from 24% to 72%

States with majority-minority school populations: 13States with near-majority-minority school populations: 10Range from 8-92%

Source: NCES, Condition of Education, 2011 and 2012

Implications and Interventions

Big Implication

We can predict with high accuracy that a talented student who is poor and/or Hispanic, Black, or Native American will not perform at advanced levels in K-12 education.

Hence “persistent talent underclass.”

ImplicationsAs income disparity reaches unprecedented levels, we fear a vicious circle of EGs feeding greater income gaps, feeding greater EGs, feeding greater income gaps, etc.

The global warming of education?i.e., people are resigned to this inequality

Andy Smarick’s recent thoughts about giftedness and the American consciousness

RecommendationsTwo questions when covering education:

How will the proposed policy impact our highest achieving students?How will the proposed policy help more students achieve at the highest levels?

Publish advanced test scores and excellence gaps whenever results are released.

Recommendations

Indicators for excellence and excellence gaps must be included in state accountability systems

21st century skills need to be incorporated into these systemsThese are the skills other countries envy

Aggressively address low-hanging policy issuesAnti-acceleration policies, rigid kindergarten age cut-offs

Warren BuffettFortune, May 2, 2013:

No manager operates his or her plants at 80% efficiency when steps could be taken that would increase output. And no CEO wants male employees to be underutilized when improved training or working conditions would boost productivity. … If obvious benefits flow from helping the male component of the workforce achieve its potential, why in the world wouldn’t you want to include its counterpart? ... We've seen what can be accomplished when we use 50% of our human capacity. If you visualize what 100% can do, you'll join me as an unbridled optimist about America's future.

Sure, but 50% is wildly optimistic.