More, Harder, Faster, Longer

For the past decade, Education Week has published a report called Quality Counts. The past reports have tracked state policies for improving K-12 education. This year’s report is called Quality Counts 2007, From Cradle to Career and focuses on a number of different factors that states are trying in order to create a seamless education system. In this report there are ratings for every state on the chances a young person will have being successful if they go to school in that state.

I appreciate the intense effort and thinking that has gone into this report – and I feel the findings expressed in this report should generate some very valuable conversations in communities and states around the US.

My concern about a report like this – and the discussions that might follow – is that many people may decide that what is needed in order to improve education is to do what we are doing now – accept more, harder, faster or longer. My opinion about doing more of what we are doing now in the public education system is that results will only get worse.

Here’s an example of a school system thinking that doing the same thing they are doing now, just more of it, will keep young people from quiting school. I think they will find, if they do this, they will only cause more young people to quit.

Durham: Keep kids in school to 18
With more teens quitting school, a debate reignites over whether North Carolina should boost its mandatory attendance age.

Here’s a completely different example of a state thinking about limiting the options young people have to force them to stay in school.

Lawmakers could limit jobs for high schoolers
Data suggests that 150,000 students drop out of California’s schools every year. To curb that trend, state lawmakers are looking into legislative options on such things as limiting the number of jobs for high schoolers or adding after-school tutoring. Hearings on those proposals and others will continue through March 14. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (2/20)

Free - but Mandatory - Education