MSC 65th Student Conference on National Affairs Texas A&M University Delegate Research Information Round Table Full Brains and Empty Pockets: Challenges of Higher Education Facilitator: Dr. Christine Blackburn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This delegate research information is not intended to be a comprehensive assessment of your assigned round table topic, but rather a starting point to help launch your own personal investigations into the various associated issues. It is encouraged, if not expected, that your policy proposals will be inclusive of aspects pertaining to your round table topic that are not covered in this research compilation. You, your facilitator, your round table host, and your fellow roundtable delegates are all responsible for crafting a policy proposal that takes this into consideration. Terms & Actors Terms Common Core- an educational initiative that outlines concepts in Mathematics and English that students in grades K-12 should know. Direct Student Loan- government-funded student loans made to the U.S. Department of Education; the Federal Direct Student Loan Program is the only government-backed loan program in the United States. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)- a federal law passed in 1965 that provides federal funds to improve local schools via resources to educational programs, professional development, and instruction materials. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)- replaced No Child Left Behind, the Act continues statewide standardized testing but gave accountability provisions to the states. Financial Aid Package- federal or non-federal aid provided to a student. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)- a form completed by high school and college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for financial aid. i3 Fund- Investing in Innovation Fund, provides federal grants to applicants who can improve student achievement in various ways. Montgomery G.I. Bill- a federal law providing benefits to military veterans, including dedicated payments for tuition for college or vocational school. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)- the “nation’s report card,” a representative and continuous assessment of U.S. students’ knowledge in various subject areas. No Child Left Behind (NCLB)- an act of Congress that required all public schools to administer standardized tests annually to students to determine their skills in basic topics. Race to the Top- discretionary/competitive grants that incentivize states to reform by adopting new standards and assessments, creating systems to measure student growth and success, and recruiting, developing, and maintaining good school faculty. School-to-Prison Pipeline- a national trend that sees students, especially disadvantaged students, leave high school and end up in juvenile and criminal justice systems. Student Loan- a type of financial assistance offered to students to pay for school related fees such as tuition, books, and/or living expenses. Student Loan Bubble- debt accrued from student loans and student loan interest. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)- a study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) that compares educational systems from around the world to help countries design effective policy. Actors Betsy Devos- the current United States Secretary of Education. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation- a private foundation that emphasized (among other things) education, especially K-12 education. Congressional Budget Office- a nonpartisan federal agency within the legislative branch that determines the interest rate on student loans. Federal Student Aid Office- an office in the United States Department of Education, and the largest provider of student aid in the country through grants, loans, and work study funds. Finland- this country has consistently high education standards and ranks highly in teacher-to- student ratio and the number of students passing primary and secondary schools. Japan- this country’s students had the second highest PISA scores in 2015, and has one of the world’s most literate populations. PISA- Program for International Student Assessment, a world-wide study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that tests 15-year-old students in reading, math, and science literacy. Rep. Bobby Scott- D-VA, Democratic chairman of the U.S. House education committee. Sal Khan- Founder of Khan Academy, a free online educational resource that enables students to learn material at their own pace and encourages mastery of topics before moving on. Senator Bernie Sanders- I-VT, Minority member of U.S. Senate education committee. Senator Lamar Alexander- R-TN, Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate education committee. United States Department of Education- Cabinet level department of the United States government whose main goal is to “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access” by “establishing policy for, administering and coordinating most federal assistance to education, collecting data on US schools, and enforcing federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights.” Analysis Overview The American education system was once considered the best in the world. As recently as 30 years ago, the United States had the best high school and college education.1 This was largely due to the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which helped returning World War II veterans pay for school. Now, however, other countries have caught up and have even surpassed the United States. Different surveys tell different stories. When only considering 3 factors (does the country have well-developed public education system, would students consider attending university there, and does the country provide top quality education), the United States ranks number 2 in the world.2 This ranking is in stark contrast to other surveys that consider other data. World Top 20 Project put out their third quarter rankings for the world’s top 20 education nations; they examine enrollment rates, lower level completion rates, graduation rates, and test scores. The United States ranked seventeenth in the world under these criteria.3 The Center on International Education Benchmarking created their own ranking based on the 2015 PISA and demographics of the students taking it, and the United States did not crack the top 12.4 The differing results tell of a problem between ideas (well-developed education system, providing top quality education) and implementation (American students ranked 25th on the 2015 PISA). Arne Duncan, the former Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, argued that one problem is that Americans do not value teaching as much as they should. “We don't train teachers as professionals, we don't respect them as professionals, we don't compensate them 1 John Guttman, “Was the USA ever No. 1 in education?” History Net, at https://www.historynet.com/was-the-usa- ever-no-1-in-education.htm 2 “Best Countries for Education,” U.S. News, 2019, at https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/best-education 3 “2019 World Best Education Systems – 3rd Quarter Rankings,” World Top 20 Project, 2019, at https://worldtop20.org/worldbesteducationsystem 4 “PISA 2015- Results in Focus,” Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2015 at https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf as professionals,” Duncan stated. In a country where classrooms are extremely diverse in every possible way, teachers are under an enormous burden. As a result, memorization rather than critical thinking is taught, and students are worse for it.5 Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, advocated for mastery-based learning. The problem with schools today, he said, is that classes move from topic to topic without the students ever gaining full mastery of the concepts. Students become discouraged when they hit roadblocks and view their failures as a sign that they are not good enough or smart enough, when really the issue is that their foundation is not solid. Today’s technology is advanced enough that students can learn at their own pace, and do not have to move to more difficult concepts until they master the basic ones. Benefits Khan mentioned include student interaction and Socratic dialogue.6 While American primary schools have issues that must be addressed, American colleges and universities also pose issues. This decade has seen more people attending college than ever before, and American universities are among the most expensive in the world. Around 68% of people who graduated college in 2015 have student debt.7 In the United States, 45 million people owe around $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. Student loan debt is now higher than credit card and auto loan debt, and is the second highest consumer debt category (mortgage debt is the first). Some have raised concerns that the student loan bubble might pop; others say the bubble won’t pop but has and will continue to drag the U.S. economy down.8 5 Gabrielle Levy, “Rethinking Education in America,” U.S. News, July 27, 2018, at https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2018-07-27/americas-schools-arent-working-for-americas-kids 6 Sal Khan, “Let’s Teach For Mastery- Not Test Scores,” TED Talk, uploaded September 26, 2016, at https://www.ted.com/talks/sal_khan_let_s_teach_for_mastery_not_test_scores/transcript?language=en 7