Teachers in the School of Psychology at the University of Porto and Portucalense, both researchers at the Center for Educational Research and Intervention, Tiago Neves and Gil Nata do not share the euphoria of the listings that are made based on the results of national tests a real picture World of schools. For them, the rankings show the quality of the students, not the schools’ performance.
In your academic work have criticized the one-dimensionality of the rankings based exclusively on exam scores. But two years ago this part of the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC) provided socioeconomic data. Is this your objection overcome?
Gil Cream (GN) – Still not looked so convenient to be here to meet more scientific, but are welcome and are very important, although it may be said which are very incomplete.
James Neves (TN) – It is evident that it is better to have more variables in play. That said, to do the same kind of analysis that we have done for the last ten, 12 years, maybe we need two things at least: one, that there might be one or two years of work, we need to see the data Over the years. Moreover, these data are incomplete: they have some holes regarding what are and not all things are fulfilled for all schools for all variables …
For example
?
GN – The data of social support were not complete for all schools. And I would add to that, for example, one of the issues on which we have leaned is the division between public and private and the alleged grade inflation. Now there is socio-economic data to private. We can not analyze this differential impact of socio-economic and family of students in private compared to public schools.
Why is it important that private schools provide socioeconomic data?
GN – So we can realize a clear to what extent the place of a school or a ranking was not dependent input that has students. That is, these students are and, at bottom, is a reflection of a ranking is not only a reflection of the students that a school has.
TN – If the education system is the same, what ones do, others must also do so if and public schools yield socio-economic data, private schools must also give.
On the issue of grade inflation, which noted a positive difference of 0.5 values ??in the internal notes of the students of private schools compared to public schools, are not running the risk of having a vision of one-dimensional private that both criticize the rankings?
TN – It’s a one-dimensional analysis because what is at stake is a question dimensional. Analyze grade inflation is a much more one-dimensional than analyzing the quality of schools. There are some considerations about the very complex phenomena such as the quality of schools, the quality of teaching … We are to focus on a very specific subject.
notes may mean that monitoring of students in private schools are better than public schools?
GN – This is one of the explanations that can advance. Now I think that in any case, this fact should be reflected in the notes to these students take the national exams. Incidentally, I think the issue here is the opposite: we know that these schools are actually trying to prepare students for national exams and do it systematically. The game is so much so that there are students who usually take notes less good, they are pushed to the 2. Stage, because usually that newspapers do not bother to build the rankings. Therefore, there are students who are away for that 2. Stage because, say, thus not affect the score overall school itself.
TN – Regarding what we call inflation notes, what we have is that normal public schools and those private contract of association with walking near zero. The grade inflation occurs purely private schools.
should be the MEC to provide a ranking officer?
TN – I would prefer that all raw data were available for anyone and everyone could work them. Let us not then think that it is one thing to be the state that is the officer in order to be neutral or better.
GN – The question that we must ask ourselves is what kind of information do we want to do What with her. The overwhelming majority of people interpret the rankings as the manifestation of the quality of a school. The top ten have a fabulous advertising. But what it shows is another thing is that they have students that took the best grades in national examinations. Point. Hence one can not make any inference about whether or not the school is working very well. I can only do this if you know what inference entered there, which is the raw material with which they work, and realize what is the route that the school could do with this material.
But this perception of quality associated with the rankings is not an incentive for schools can be overcome? The rankings have not brought a certain animation, a certain dynamic to the schools?
TN – brought Animation (laughs). Indeed, if it were not so the newspapers would not do special sections on the rankings, because on that day the newspapers sell more … but can serve to motivate and demotivate, to mobilize and demobilize. Can serve to pervert some levels of education in the sense of its bottleneck to teach to a test or an exam, to train students well for a task
GN … – Working for the rankings, away from students who do not behave so well in the exams, students select the outset because it can damage the image of the school …
Refers to private schools?
GN – At private yes, but there are also some public making the selection criterion of the best student, not that you need more help. Would this logic: the best school we are interested in for students who need it and here there is something perverse in that the best school is the one that already has the best students. From the point of view of improving schools I do not know if these rankings are the best incentive.
The Government wants to extend the association contracts with private schools, independent schools speech and opened the door to check-teaching. A frame with this diversity of education agents, the rankings do not become more important?
GN – Again we have to realize what we do with the rankings. These enabled us to clearly ascertain whether or not there some schools that will not be all, to inflate grades …
TN – There are all, quite the contrary. Our research detects that on average private inflate more, but there are private to below average in a sense to harm their students giving them lower grades than those who get in the endnotes.
GN – The amount of data enabled us to realize this. From here, what do we do with this information? I know no one has done anything. Now we get a more complex mosaic of schools and want the rankings for what? To see the quality of the schools? I think these rankings are not to serve for it.
Read more in the supplement of 48 pages about the rankings with the print edition of Saturday.
Special Rankings in http://www.publico.pt/ranking-das-escolas
– Ranking 4.
th year – Ranking 6.
th year – Ranking 9.
th year – Ranking the secondary
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