Typically the U.S. students are far down the various lists comparing American students with other nations’ students. For example, results of the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study —TIMSS — placed U.S. students far behind students from Singapore, Korea, Slovenia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Sweden, and many other countries in math and science in grades four, eight, and twelve. Similar results appear with other tests in other years.
Good Results for Longer Time in Class have been Achieved in The U.S.
Approximately 1,000 schools — mostly charter schools — have lengthened their schedules by one to two hours a day or 300 hours yearly. The Robert Treat Academy in New Jersey is but one example with higher achievement accompanying loner hours.
Japan and other Asian nations perform much better than the U.S. on Standardized tests and have significantly longer school years. The U.S. has one of the shortest school years — typically 180 days — when compared with nations taking the oft-compared test. The American school year began out of a need to have children help on the farm over 150 years past. That need has doubtless passed.
Comparing the Results of Different Nations can be Misleading
The tendency to conclude that when one thing follows another that the first thing caused the second is a common practice. It even has a name — in logic it is referred to the post hoc fallacy. The fallacy works like this: if event A happens before event B, the A caused B. Post hoc fallacies are the root of superstitious behavior and erroneous conclusions about causality.
Those who cite statistics must understand that statistics alone prove nothing — they are numbers that indicate that a connection may exist between variables. If the nature of the connection cannot be found, then the statistics may be open to a myriad of wrong interpretations. Just because most people eat breakfast after sunrise doesn’t mean that sunrise causes hunger.
There is also the Hawthorne Effect, which can bring about positive results of new programs when participants in the program know what the outcomes are supposed to be. Ultimately, time will determine whether or not extended school time is truly effective in improving education.
The analysis of human behavior is frustratingly complicated because of the many variables that impinge upon human conduct. Cultural differences alone make comparisons questionable.
Other nations also utilize different methods of instruction than the U.S. Teachers is other nations often enjoy higher status than in the U.S., receive higher pay, and have more time for planning. Finally, public education in the U.S. is open to everyone, including the apathetic and disenchanted.
Problems is the U.S. are Clear and must be Managed First
- Schools in the U.S. are woefully inconsistent from place to place. Educators still debate the importance of homework and its application varies wildly. Interestingly, Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic consistently beat the U.S. on standardized tests, and they assign much less homework.
- Many American schools waste lots of time. The U.S. may have a 180-day year, but when one subtracts the days given to standardized testing, preparation for standardized testing, rewarding students for selling the most stuff in a fundraiser, powering up at the beginning of the year by tending to many non-instructional tasks, powering down before long holiday breaks and the end of the school year, and interrupting classes for countless trivialities — realistically, American schools might use 150 days, more or less, for instruction. Some do better, some worse.
- Teachers in American schools have to spend time with disciplinary and secretarial matters — books, collecting fees, managing the disengaged and difficult. These interfere with maintaining focus.
- School funding in the U.S. is not equitable. Schools from state to state and within the same state can vary tremendously regarding school funding due to local tax bases. The effect on poor districts is often dramatic.
- The winds of education change direction quickly. Politicians pass legislation that does little other than initiate change for the sake of change. Remember the high hopes of NCLB?
Does the U.S. Know what It’s Doing in Public Education?
As of 2010 the Nobel Prize Committees have awarded the United States 39% of world total Nobel Prizes and 47% of world total in the sciences, medicine, and economics. Not too shabby! One might not have predicted those results based on American standardized tests results and the length of the school year.
The technological achievements of the U.S. are the envy of the world. Medical miracles are being done every day, although equal access to these miracles does not exist. And that may be a large part of the solution — access.
Those problems addressed above diminish education for all but have a profound effect on students who already lack parental support, books and computers at home, and teachers who lack time and resources to effectively address the special problems of poverty and indifference.
Before billions are spent on extending the school year, perhaps educators and legislators should place all students on a level playing field, and allow teachers to really teach a 180-day year. Standardized scores do not tell the story of American education. The nation has a plate full of problems to solve before spending additional billions. Solve those and maybe more class time will help.
Sources:
“School Work,” newyorker.com. (Accessed: September 29, 2011)
Harvey Craft - I am a retired educator with diverse experience. I read anything science, education, and history. I write to share what I learn.
