Underachievement's True Crux

By Les Birdsall, Pacific Beach

E-MAIL STORY

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 | San Diego Unified school board member John de Beck made a common mistake in assessing the cause of student under-performance on standardized tests at San Diego's newly constructed Lincoln High School. He said the problem was low "student motivation."

What Mr. de Beck should know, but apparently doesn't, is that very few of the students, less than 5 percent, entered the school proficient in the basic skills, concepts, background knowledge, and application capabilities -- in reading, writing, critical thinking, literature, science, mathematics and history -- required to meet the performance standards set forth for them.

The instruction these students encounter from kindergarten to grade 8, and, subsequently, in grades 9 through 12, is not designed to develop skills to proficiency. Although students possess the intellectual capability to achieve mastery, 90 percent graduate high school without doing so. This happens, primarily, because the K-12 program fails to teach many essential skills and seldom provides students with the instructional time and practice required to achieve full proficiency in established standards.

Underachievement usually begins in the earliest grades and continues, unabated for most students, through high school. This does produce low motivation. How many adults could engage, daily, in unsuccessful activities without eventually suffering low motivation? Still, it is a secondary cause. Engage these students in well designed, stimulating, successful learning activities -- that develop skills, knowledge and application capabilities to proficiency -- and they will thrive.

The performance challenge facing schools is systemic, but society is not yet prepared to undertake the radical redesign required to achieve universal student proficiency, the nation's performance goal. During this period of national and world recession we should be mindful that if the United States is to remain a leading, prosperous economic force our children, all our children, must be successfully educated.

4 Comments so far on this story...

It is also a mistake to think that underachievement begins in the earliest grades simply because the school system first detects it there. Underachievement begins at least with the parents and the choices made before a child is even born. The best indicators for student success include factors like parents own success and education levels, parents age, parents marital status and cultural problems such as gangs. Throwing money into failing schools has continually been shown to do little to turn them around. It has been well documented to fail spectacularly in Kansas City, Belmont High (LA) and Lincoln high. Anybody that takes a look at the honest studies on the issue could have predicted the outcome without the waste of funds. The needs of children in these communities is a broader cultural and social issue that cannot be solved through increased school funding.

Posted by Paul | reply to this comment
November 11, 2008 9:05 pm

Always 'putting the blame' on someone else? John & Mitz were completely aware, as this parent and many parents were and are, of Alan Bersin's many Failures-one, relying on BOGUS expensive programs that 'removed Phonics' in the early grades at SDUSD. A travesty-still solutions for teens are available. The fact still is, if 'uneducated' immigrants and adults' can 'learn how to read' and do math at older ages, John is right, the 'motivation must come from within' from these students-help, Not Blame. A Key to Motivation is to 'educate and inspire' with how this will 'affect their futures-their life partners and their children's lives,' and how easy it is to begin the process-one day at a time. Older, they can be observant of more successul life-goals. Now it is time to ask them for their 'participation.' Terry Grier's plans might include this.

Posted by Cynthia Conger | reply to this comment
November 12, 2008 9:48 am

"What Mr. de Beck should know, but apparently doesn't, is that very few of the students, less than 5 percent, entered the school proficient in the basic skills, concepts, background knowledge, and application capabilities -- in reading, writing, critical thinking, literature, science, mathematics and history -- required to meet the performance standards set forth for them."... . . . . . .. . . .. I find this hard to believe-less than 5%??? Almost impossible to believe. But if it is true then there are problems so big we may never overcome them.

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
November 13, 2008 12:10 pm

Maybe schools at their best aren't much good for teaching children. Long ago children worked on farms or if lucky in some kind of an apprenticeship. Later schools came along where for twelve years or longer we tell children how important it is to learn so someday they can get a good job. Problem is most don't believe all of that crap. I would like to see very young children be allowed to work along with adults doing work to see what it iis like then as they dislike the work or pay allow them to see what additional education or training is required for the job they would prefer to have. Then allow them to earn some money while trying to qualify for the better job,

Posted by Dennis Gergen | reply to this comment
November 18, 2008 6:48 pm

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