Title
Uneducated guesses [electronic resource] : using evidence to uncover misguided education policies / Howard Wainer.
ISBN
9781400839575 (electronic book)
9780691149288
Publication Details
Princeton [N.J.] : Princeton University Press, c2011.
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xvi, 175 p.) : ill.
Call Number
LB2353.2 .W35 2011eb
Dewey Decimal Classification
378.1/662
Summary
Uneducated Guesses challenges everything our policymakers thought they knew about education and education reform, from how to close the achievement gap in public schools to admission standards for top universities. In this explosive book, Howard Wainer uses statistical evidence to show why some of the most widely held beliefs in education today--and the policies that have resulted--are wrong. He shows why colleges that make the SAT optional for applicants end up with underperforming students and inflated national rankings, and why the push to substitute achievement tests for aptitude tests makes no sense. Wainer challenges the thinking behind the enormous rise of advanced placement courses in high schools, and demonstrates why assessing teachers based on how well their students perform on tests--a central pillar of recent education reforms--is woefully misguided. He explains why college rankings are often lacking in hard evidence, why essay questions on tests disadvantage women, why the most grievous errors in education testing are not made by testing organizations--and much more. No one concerned about seeing our children achieve their full potential can afford to ignore this book. With forceful storytelling, wry insight, and a wealth of real-world examples, Uneducated Guesses exposes today's educational policies to the light of empirical evidence, and offers solutions for fairer and more viable future policies.
Note
Description based on print version record.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
What happens if the SAT is made optional?
Substituting achievement tests for aptitude tests
Cut-offs for scholarships
The aptitude-achievement function: an aid for allocating educational resources
Comparing the incomparable
On examinee choice in educational testing
What if choice is part of the test?
A little ignorance is a dangerous thing
Assessing teachers from student scores: on the practicality of value-added models
Shopping for colleges when what we know ain't
Of cats and claims: the first step toward wisdom.