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Links for 1/14/10
Christoph KnoessThe U.S. approach to secondary education is rarely questioned in the discussion on how to fix education, even though it is quite different from that of most other countries, in that it provides just a single format for all students irrespective of their aptitude and interests (but accepts wide diversity in terms of standards and outcomes) and it positions success in that format as a “deliverable” our school districts owe to every one of their students (that they are expected to deliver irrespective of cost considerations).
Post-secondary education is left to deal with the consequences of this approach…
But the “student-as-a-customer” attitude has created a problem for traditional higher education. Playing to that attitude has led institutions to compete on the luxury of their dorms and athletic facilities rather than the uniqueness of their mission. It has reduced the differences between institutions and has created a bland sameness characterized by unnecessary costs…
once a four year education has become almost as expensive as a single family home, it is very difficult for institutions to resist the “I-am-a-customer” attitude of their students…
Eric KeldermanAmong the proposed improvements in states' higher-education systems this year, Louisiana's may seem the most counterintuitive: Send far fewer students to four-year colleges.
Directing more people to community and technical colleges, say some elected officials and business leaders, would build a better work force by ensuring that more students graduate with usable skills and at a price that fits the state's budget…
the entire process runs the risk of pitting four-year colleges against two-year colleges in an endless fight over state tax support…
Scott JaschikWhat the research found is that the reputational scores don't correlate with changes in factors such as resources or graduation rates, but correlate with the previous year's rankings. In other words, the way you get a good reputational score -- and in turn a good ranking -- is to already have a good ranking…
“You want reputation to be a perceptual indicator of something that's not the rankings you just produced."
3 comments:
"...once a four year education has become almost as expensive as a single family home, it is very difficult for institutions to resist the “I-am-a-customer” attitude of their students…"
This is a very interesting phenomena. What I think will be interesting is, if tuition hikes continue, will the "customers" come to college with the expectation of graduating irrespective of performance or merit? This should be measurable in retention rates (increasing).
I think that the expectation of graduating irrespective of performance or merit is already present, at least to some extent. Students have been somewhat conditioned to believe that they are entitled to good grades and a completion during compulsory education and bring this expectation with them to campus. Colleges need their tuition dollars and subsidies to grow, so they have largely given in, at the expense of educational standards. Until we start measuring what students learn and/or the value added by colleges and hold them accountable for it, things are likely to continue to get worse.
Daniel - Thanks for the affirmation. I wish I had an answer that addresses accountability.
Straying from the scope of this issue, our federal government is doing what it can to spread the entitlement mentality. But the good news is that there are a lot of people (shall we say the formerly "silent majority") are not buying it.
In a previous comment on the "Students Be Damned" blog, I stated I needed to give the subject some more thought.
Let me preface my next comment by first acknowleding that "Going Broke by Degree" is a great book (especially when you have a copy signed by the author) that provides much insight on the issues that are addressed on this blog on daily basis. That said, I am thinking it's time for another book that reads like your blog posts - stories for the layperson. Something along the lines of "The Rise and Fall of Higher Education" - how U.S. Higher Education came to be, and how it will fall in the future. Or "The Fall and Rise of Higher Education". How Higher Education is failing us and how it can rise from the inneficiencies and unproductive entity that it is today. A book intended for the average Joe Sixshooter that condenses what CCAP says in their blog. I don't know that my thinking is clear at this time. I believe I need more time to think about what I am getting at (I have business on my mind right now). One thing I'm thinking is for sure - I can't write such a book.
I'm guessing the higher education model was developed by academicians, and academicians are surely smart enough to see the problems (Example: CCAP). However, maybe it's time for a higher education "Tea Party". Let the "customer" force the change. If it saves them money and improves the service, I believe they will buy into it. Just a thought.
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