If you are a decision maker in education in your area, please, please, please look into the various Bayesian predictive models used for math placement
Seems like you have worse problems than not using Bayesian predictive models. Like racism and corruption in the school system, and inability to tell means from goals.
For comparison, the first two don’t seem to be a significant issue up here in BC, Canada,
what with more than half of the students being Asian (and often ESL) and a reasonably strong tradition of integrity in the teacher’s union. From what I know, there are few issues with assigning children into classes by ability, not by profiling.The main problem is the steadily declining financing, resulting in fewer and weaker programs. Another issue is that there is virtually no way to affect or even get rid of a bad teacher (union, remember?), and some teachers suck big time. I am not even aware of any targeted programs to “raise literacy” except for ESL classes, or to “raise basic math skills”. Well, there are some which target the local native population, not sure how successful they are.
We had a creepy social stupies teacher with big seniority who eventually got fired. Everyone knew if was coming for years, and then he finally pissed off the wrong parents. It is possible to get really bad teachers fired eventually.
Seems like you have worse problems than not using Bayesian predictive models. Like racism and corruption in the school system, and inability to tell means from goals.
For comparison, the first two don’t seem to be a significant issue up here in BC, Canada, what with more than half of the students being Asian (and often ESL) and a reasonably strong tradition of integrity in the teacher’s union. From what I know, there are few issues with assigning children into classes by ability, not by profiling.The main problem is the steadily declining financing, resulting in fewer and weaker programs. Another issue is that there is virtually no way to affect or even get rid of a bad teacher (union, remember?), and some teachers suck big time. I am not even aware of any targeted programs to “raise literacy” except for ESL classes, or to “raise basic math skills”. Well, there are some which target the local native population, not sure how successful they are.
We had a creepy social stupies teacher with big seniority who eventually got fired. Everyone knew if was coming for years, and then he finally pissed off the wrong parents. It is possible to get really bad teachers fired eventually.
(Kits high, btw)