HI SAT BLACKS TAKE ADVANCED COURSES <> MAKE ALL TAKE ADVANCED COURSES \doc\web\98\06\hitest.txt Date sent: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 22:38:23 -0400 To: "ClearingHouse" From: "George K. Cunningham" Subject: [education-consumers] Re: Access to Honors Courses Send reply to: "ClearingHouse" ===================================================================== At 12:45 PM 9/17/98 -0700, you wrote: >===================================================================== > > >John: >I was interested to read an article in the Sept. 14 issue of Newsweek (p. >65) titled, "Living With the Tests," by Ellis Cose. The article examines >a study done by the Mellon Foundation on characteristics of black >students who have done well on the SAT tests. By comparing common >characteristics of high-scoring (those who scored 1200 or above) black >and white students, the researchers found African-American and white >students in this range to have many experiences in common, and some that >are different. Cose suggests that these [positive] experiences may be >replicable and may raise achievement and later success for a larger >percentage of minority students. > >If one removes the race factor from this issue, it would seem reasonable >that in as much as one's environment contributes to one's academic >success (I don't want to open the whole nature vs nurture debate), all >races could benefit from examining these traits. > >"The biggest difference between the high and low scorers was not the type >of school they attended, but the specific courses and extracurricular >activities they undertook. Unlike most of those who did poorly, the >overwhelming majority of the high scorers had taken calculus and honors >English. The were also much more likely to take on intellectually >challenging extracurricular activities such as journalism, public >speaking and debate." > I am afraid that Ellis Cose fell prey to a classic logical fallacy. Because high performing African-American students were enrolled in advanced college preparatory classes does not mean that they are high performing because are enrolled in such classes. It is far more likely that they are enrolled in these classes because of their ability. The state of Maryland fell into this trap when they discovered that most students who went on to college had taken 2nd year algebra. They now require all students to take this course in the mistaken belief that this will increase college participation. We know that the factor most related to average academic performance for a school is the number of students eligible for free lunch. The more students eligible for free lunch, the lower the academic performance, and vice versa. I don't know of anyone who is advocating denying free lunch to students as a way to increase academic performance, but this would work just as well as requiring all students to take 2nd year algebra. This does not mean that schools shouldn't make advanced classes available to all students who can benefit from them. However, when you put unqualified students in such classes they will no longer be advanced. ===================================================================== EDUCATION CONSUMERS CLEARINGHOUSE networking and information for parents and taxpayers on the internet Subscriptions & Archives: http://education-consumers.com or You are currently subscribed to education-consumers as: arthurhu@nwnexus.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a blank email to leave-education-consumers-989528N@lists.dundee.net ===================================================================== For less mail, click on the following link and choose 1) a daily digest, 2) a daily list of subjects, or 3) no mail (read postings on Web) http://lists.dundee.net/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=education-consumers&text_mo de=0 For more help & info: http://www.lyris.com/help or