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Unraveling Myths: The Case for Research in Education

By Simeon Slovacek Ph.D., Professor Charter College of Education California State University, Los Angeles United States of America Visiting Professor, American University of Armenia Yerevan, Mini Conference June 8, 2012. Unraveling Myths: The Case for Research in Education.

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Unraveling Myths: The Case for Research in Education

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  1. By Simeon Slovacek Ph.D., Professor Charter College of Education California State University, Los Angeles United States of America Visiting Professor, American University of Armenia Yerevan, Mini Conference June 8, 2012 Unraveling Myths:The Case for Research in Education

  2. AbstractThis presentation will address the need for research in Education by exploring some widely held myths and hypotheses about education and human development. Examples of research hypotheses that later turned out to be false when put to the data test, will be presented. A few implications for English Language teachers and researchers will be addressed as well.

  3. Research – systematically asking and answering questions!

  4. subjective objective Perception and reality R.J. Rummel

  5. Not Everything you see is real!

  6. Photoshop Magic

  7. Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.Philip K. Dick (1928 - 1982), "How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later", 1978

  8. Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion. Role of data

  9. Purpose of Research “I Think” Theory Speculation “I Know” Knowledge research

  10. Caution for researchers: • Observer Bias- Refers to the possibility that certain characteristics or ideas of observers may bias what they choose to “see”. • If you say it or hear it enough times “it’s true” only happens in the media!

  11. Myths and Research Hypotheses that failed to be supported by data.

  12. Parents always have a positive impact on decisions for their children to attend college. Myths and Research Hypotheses that failed to be supported by data.

  13. Cultural norms preclude options: Geographic Prisons • Parents want what they think is “best” for their children but Case Studies of low SES especially Hispanic families suggest otherwise • Parents can’t be expected to promote that which they don’t know! “you can’t afford college!” • Graduate school is often an “alien concept” for first time graduates’ families. • Lifetime Earnings and Lifetimes!!! Not true that Parents always have a positive impact on decisions for their children to attend college.

  14. US 2011 More Examples using numbers and graphs

  15. Slavery! • No one would argue this is a good thing (for themselves!) • Yet 25,000 Female Children worldwide • Are married each day! • To older men without any regard to the girls’ wishes, choices, or needs

  16. Cultural norms preclude options: Social Prisons • Worldwide, mostly against their wishes there are 25,000 female children married each day to older men! • ‘GIRLS NOT BRIDES’ project: WWW.girlsnotbrides.org • Parents want what they think is “best” for their children and often they think = short-term economic security • Lifetime options are clearly curtailed for the child brides • Continued Poverty is related to the selling off of children Myth: Parents always want what is best for their children.

  17. US Combined US Males US Females Japan Males Japan Females * Africa Males * Africa Females Europe Life Expectancy (2010) year * Under developed African countries

  18. Males are better drivers that females • Many men AND women believe this! • Mostly women believe this, because men tell them this!!!! • Who really is typically better? Myth:

  19. The man or the woman?

  20. Who is a better driver Site (Research Study) http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=788126

  21. Violations for which men scored at least 50 percent higher than women:

  22. It gets worse!

  23. Hispanic Females in the US do worse in high school than boys because they are expected to care for siblings at home – (presumably cutting into their study time.) • Reality: Not true • Boys actually were more likely to have outside (time robbing) jobs than girls. • Girls grades were higher than boys. More Myths and Research Hypotheses that failed to be supported by data.

  24. “The top concern of nearly all parents in the US for their school age children is their grades.” • Reality: Not true • Low socio-economic-status Hispanic Parents in the US are far more concerned that their children “behave properly” in school than they are concerned with poor grades! Myths and Research Hypotheses that failed to be supported by data.

  25. The Bilingual education differential funding for teachers in California ($5,000/bi-lingual teacher/year) will help improve English Proficiency rates of English learners. • Reality: Not true! • In a study over 10 years ago of the Redondo Beach School District where this differential was paid, the re-designation rate (to proficiency) was 3%/year – it was 7% statewide! • At this rate it would take over 78 years to make 95% of ELL’s proficient! • You only HAVE them for 12 years at most Myths and Research Hypotheses that failed to be supported by data.

  26. Why? • The extra funding $ served as a disincentive to re-designate students as proficient! • The more successful you are, the less money you get next year! • Students with Hispanic surnames were automatically classified as English Learners • Even if they didn’t speak a word of Spanish! Much to the dismay of the Superintendent

  27. “The children with poor grades are also the ones most likely to be troublesome students and likely to miss a lot of school”. • Not Always True! • According to a focus group of Montebello School District High School Principals (Hispanic immigrant families), this hypothesis was wrong! • Our Schools provide a safe place for youth in gang controlled neighborhoods even for “straight F’s students” More Myths

  28. In Testing it is commonly believed that the best way to improve reliability, is to add items to a test (increase test length!). • Deleting poor performing items works even better most of the time – • The dual benefit is that this is the only way to improve reliability for single administration of a test. (Done without lengthening and re-administering) Partial Myth:

  29. George Lucas (Star Wars Creator) to his children: • “That’s MY money – not your money!” • Warren Buffet (one of the Worlds wealthiest Billionaires) – Has pledged his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation instead of his children! • “Bill and Melinda are better at philanthropy than I am!” Myth: Wealthy Parents always leave their fortunes to their Children

  30. But what has this to do with English Language Teaching and Assessment? • Answer ….

  31. it informs my charter school board service and governance Research and Evaluation = # 1 factor in good decision making

  32. Most of the anti-charter studies are directly or indirectly funded by fearful teachers unions (with a long history of opposing chart schools! ) • EG. Great Lakes Foundation – sounds harmless enough but is a front for the NEA – the largest union. • Certainly MY charter schools outperform neighboring public schools! Myth: Charter Schools do not perform any better than other traditional schools in the US!

  33. Founding board of trustees member on 3 non-profit boards That have started 20successful charter schools • The Accelerated School(s) board - 4 schools • (Founding Trustee, also served as Vice President, Treasurer) • Inner City Education Foundation board- 15 schools • (Founding Trustee of charters, Board Secretary) • School of Arts and Enterprise board - 1 school • (Founding Director, Board Secretary & Treasurer) • AndSchool of Arts and Enterprise Foundation Board (President) Serving a total of 6,000+ students in LA County Employing ~ 500 teachers, administrators, and staff Professor Slovacek’s Charter School Boards

  34. My schools’ students are high performers even though most are from low income families and many are English Language Learners • Extraordinary results: • High academic achievement levels • 95 to 100 % high school graduation rates • 90 to 97% college going rates • And 87% college retention rates at 4 years! High Expectations rule!

  35. Fact: 50 to 60% of Hispanic and African Americans in urban schools like Los Angeles drop out before graduating • The social and economic cost are staggering: • Many dropouts commit crimes (no job skills) (70% of inmates are dropouts • and ~25% end up in prison • It cost around $50,000/YEAR/INMATE….. Do the math….. • One of my high schools alone (SAE) saves society an estimated $7,000,000 each year or double the cost of running the school! The real value of a 95 to 100 % high school graduation rates

  36. Myth: American School children speak English the US!

  37. Changing demographics: a majority of new births in US are from immigrant families (non-English speaking) • Explosive growth of English Learners in USA schools • Inadequate schooling for English language learners has created a new underclass of students: Long Term English Learners (LTELs) • LTELs = 6+ years without learning English! Some Demographic Trendsfor TESOL & TEOFL English Teachers

  38. Major findings from recent study • The majority (~60%) of secondary school English Learners are “Long Term English Learners - LTEL’s” • They are in United States schools for more than six years without reaching sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified. • In one out of three districts, more than 75% of their English Learners are Long Term Growing Long Term English Learner problem Source: Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for California’s Long Term English Learners

  39. More findings from this recent study • Few districts have designated programs or formal approaches designed for Long Term English Learners. Instead, the typical “program” and placements for Long Term English Learners in secondary schools appear to be similar to what they received in elementary school. • It consists of: inappropriate placement in mainstream (no program), being placed and kept in classes with newcomer English Learners, being taught by largely unprepared teachers, over-assigned and inadequately served in intervention and support classes, • being precluded from participation in electives, and with limited access to the full curriculum. Growing Long Term English Learner problem Source: Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for California’s Long Term English Learners

  40. Language barriers in the United States continue to grow as a function of increased cultural diversity • Inadequate schooling for English language learners has created a new underclass of students: Long Term English Learners (LTEL) • The need for competent effective teachers of English with non-native speakers has never been greater in the United States Some Clear Conclusions

  41. Will depend on good research Sound education policy Demands it!

  42. Closing thought:

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