Saturday, January 22, 2011

Study questions how much students actually learn in college

From the PG, "Study finds rigors of college wanting":

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11019/1118915-84.stm

The research described in the article showed that 45% of undergraduates in the study show no significant improvement in complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years. The article describes light loads with little reading or writing required at many colleges.

10 comments:

Questioner said...

A professor from NYU is quoted as saying, "It's not the case that giving out more credentials is going to make the US more economically competitive. It requires academic rigor."

You have to wonder whether, for the Pittsburgh Promise to be a good investment, there needs to be more oversight as to what schools students attend and what courses are taken.

Anonymous said...

Probably many of us already had a sense that there were courses that didn't do us much good. Students can probably find a good education at most colleges, but it takes some effort and initiative, and there are a lot of distractions and alternatives.

Anonymous said...

It must be the professors, every body in this district and country blame teachers. Just like PPS athletics, it must be the coaches.
I am so tired of this crap.

Anonymous said...

do college student actually learn anything,than what purpose in the PPS dist to ptrepare students to learn when in college
the other question to that response is are they learning anything of value,also do the kids know the purpose for a college education.
meaning what they put into it and what they exspect to get out of it

and to expand this issue you also might have to break down every major to

Questioner said...

More water main breaks in Pittsburgh:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11025/1120442-53.stm

As background, CNN reoprted that the "US Water Infrastructure is in Trouble": http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/20/water.main.infrastructure/index.html

- Free money for college isn't really free. Taxes could have been imposed on large nonprofits to make possible badly needed repairs in infrastructure such as aging water mains. We are instead accepting contributions to the Pittsburgh Promise, and must be optimize this investment in the Promise.

Questioner said...

Infrastructure again:

"The city said with an old infrastructure and a limited paving budget, it's fixing as many roads as it can."

http://www.wpxi.com/news/26627145/detail.html

Anonymous said...

The comments on here about money not being free are absolutely on the mark.

Don't you remember the newspaper coverage about the Promise? This protects UPMC against taxation or payments in lieu of going forward.

I guess the key question we have to ask ourselves going forward is simple: was the shift in pilot and philanthropic dollars to the Promise the very best use of those dollars?

To date the trajectory of high school enrollment has not changed, nor has the relative quality of a PPS high school diploma. The percentage of high school age kids going to charter schools has increased.

Some will miss the point of this post, so let me be clearer. Has the present value of a $40k scholarship been enough to attract families back into the City from Pine Richland, North Allegheny, etc.?

One of the legacies of the Roosevelt administration will always be no real improvement in high schools.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:23

"Some will miss the point of this post, so let me be clearer. Has the present value of a $40k scholarship been enough to attract families back into the City from Pine Richland, North Allegheny, etc.?"

I only know my personal experience. Approximately 14-20 families I know moved their children FROM PPS, including myself. Walking away from 40k, (plus adding 10-18k per kid to attend private schools) times 3 kids speaks volumes.

I believe PPS does not care. Roosevelt, now Lane & company will collect their salaries & bonuses and move to Ohio or back to Iowa.

Does anyone know if a child is home schooled or attends private school, yet still goes to Greenway for the gifted program considered a PPS student and in eligible for Promise money?

Anonymous said...

"Does anyone know if a child is home schooled or attends private school, yet still goes to Greenway for the gifted program considered a PPS student and in eligible for Promise money?"

Pardon me, are these students considered eligible for Promise money.

Questioner said...

The pittsburghpromise.org website lists the following for eligibility:

"What are the eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship from The Pittsburgh Promise?


The Pittsburgh Promise is available to all graduates of the Pittsburgh Public Schools and charters, regardless of financial need or income. To be eligible to receive a scholarship from The Promise, students must meet the following criteria:

Graduate from Pittsburgh Public Schools or one of its charter high schools

Be a student in the district and a resident of Pittsburgh continuously since at least the 9th grade

Earn a minimum of 2.5 GPA

Maintain a minimum of 90% attendance record

Earn admission to any public or private post-secondary school that is covered by The Pittsburgh Promise"

- So, because a home schooled student would not be a graduate of PPS or one of its charter high schools, a home schooled student would be ineligible.