The bell has rung: nonfiction titles about education in America

Posted 9/6/15

Here are three books about education, debunking the prevailing wisdom about college choice, examining social trends impacting academic success, and the science behind childhood achievement.

"Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to …

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The bell has rung: nonfiction titles about education in America

Posted

Here are three books about education, debunking the prevailing wisdom about college choice, examining social trends impacting academic success, and the science behind childhood achievement.

"Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania"

by Frank Bruni

Having taught in a "Blue-Ribbon" school for 35 years, I am very familiar with the angst and trepidation with which high school students approach their senior year. Many have been programmed by their parents to believe that gaining entrance into an Ivy League institution will determine their future success. In his recent book, "Where You Go Is Not Who'll You Be", Frank Bruni, New York Times Bestselling Author, attempts to dispel that notion. In some cases the competition for matriculation into such an institution begins as early as kindergarten. "There is an implicit belief that a premier kindergarten program guarantees an early leg up in a nearly 14-year battle to gain admission to the country's most competitive colleges." Many schools in the New York area boast that their $40,000 tuition is money well spent in preparation toward that goal; to name a few, Horace Mann and Trinity, Riverdale, Fieldstone, all located in Manhattan.  On top of that many parents spend as much as $30,000 per year in SAT preparation, as well as tutors in multiple subject areas and mentors who oversee their child's assignments. For example, Hernandez College Consulting's home page says, "Let us help you rise above the rest!" In addition, Ivy Wise, a college consulting firm, sells a "platinum package" of 24 guidance sessions in addition to an hour of weekly phone time during junior and senior years for $30,000. Of course, all of this contributes to the hysteria regarding where a student will matriculate.  What further adds to this panic is the US News and World Report's annual list of the top ranking colleges in the country contributing to a "game that's spun wildly out of control." Many in the list are included because of how much they spend per student. Bruni contends that "dollars don't equal learning." The list also suggests that certain schools are better for everyone, when they may only be better for particular students with particular dispositions. Moreover, Bruni points out that the selections are "very subjective and easily manipulated.. they are more about vestigial reputations and institutional wealth...They are an attention-getting, money-making enterprise for US News." Adam Weinberg, president of Denison University, says, "I think US News & World Report will go down as one of the most destructive things that ever happened to higher education." What was most interesting were the histories of many, many accomplished individuals who told their own stories of how they ended up at second or even third-tier schools and how their initial disappointment at being rejected by the Ivy-Leagues turned out to be a blessing in disguise; how the so-called "lesser" schools provided them opportunities and mentors who guided them to achieve beyond anything they could have imagine.

This book is a great resource for high-school seniors considering various institutions of higher learning.  It helps to focus on what a school might provide you with other than a prestigious label.  In addition, it gives concrete examples of people who were better off attending a "lesser" institution, proving that in the end, these venues provided them with more, rather than less of what they needed to make it.

"Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis"

by Robert Putnam

"Our Kids" begins with the question "What has happened to the Land of Opportunity—the promise...that anyone regardless of origins can have a fair start...and with hard work, can get a good education to achieve success." Putnam begins with true life stories of the kids from his 1959 graduating class in Port Clinton, Ohio to indicate that most of his classmates went on to do better educationally and economically than their parents, but that this upward mobility is no longer a possibility for many American youngsters. He traces some of the myriad challenges facing kids today: fragmented families, economic deprivation from parental lack of employment, disappearing jobs, and impoverished communities. He interviews many parents and children in order to compare different parenting styles in an attempt to determine why some succeed while others fail. Some of these conversations are disturbing but enlightening as the reader becomes cognizant of the hopelessness and despair of some very bright kids who find the "gold ring" of achievement out of their reach through no fault of their own. They are victims of a declining economy, trapped in deplorable slums, and being raised in some cases by extremely irresponsible parents.

Scholarly and well-researched, "Our Kids" relies on many documented studies that investigate the differences between the blossoming of more affluent kids in contrast to their underprivileged counterparts. Researchers Jane Waldfogel and Elizabeth Washbrook found that maternal sensitivity and nurturing was of primary importance in a child's development (no surprise there!). In fact this was the "single most important factor" determining kids' readiness for school. Family dining together was a second powerful indicator of a child's success. Parenting styles was a third. For example, in upper income homes with well-educated parents, the children benefit from verbal interaction where parents have larger vocabularies and use more complex syntax. A landmark study in Kansas estimated that by the time a child enters kindergarten, the offspring of professionals had heard 19 million more words than those from a working class family, and 32 million more than a child of parents on welfare. In addition, another recent study proved that part of the brain region responsible for emotional regulation was impaired in adults who had been exposed to the stresses of poverty as children. The conclusion: healthy brain development is closely related to parental education, income, and social class.

As for schools, poorer kids do better in schools where their classmates come from more affluent backgrounds and bring with them higher standards and aspirations that seem to rub off on their less-advantaged peers. Otherwise, the latter are corralled in failing schools  where delinquency, truancy, violence, turmoil, and disorder adversely affect the entire learning environment. Even when these schools are given the same resources, it isn't enough to counteract the effects of student hunger, unstable housing, lack of health care, immigration issues, violence and safety concerns, and economic problems. In addition, good teachers, even the young and inspired ones, are often worn down from this "war zone" atmosphere and usually last two years before transferring to less challenging environments.

Also a determinant in a student's success in his/her participation in extracurricular activities. Poorer kids are three times less likely to participate in sports and clubs, like French club or orchestra. Sometimes it's due to lack of  money or lack of transportation to these events; but it is in these venues that some are able to hone leadership qualities that will serve them well in managerial positions later on in life.

Finally, mentors are another absence in the lives of many kids from poorer neighborhoods. Affluent kids are 2 to 3 times more likely to have a wider pool of coaches, family friends, and teachers who are available to guide and give them advice, as well as put them in contact with  people in the community for internships, part-time jobs, and the like.

For all these reasons, poorer kids are often doomed from day one. The challenge is how to close this opportunity gap. Much, of course, results from the collapse of the working-class family. Government-based policies have done little to alleviate financial need. Some suggest better education regarding contraception. Others favor an expansion of the "Earned Income Tax Credit," one of the largest anti-poverty programs in America, but it applies only to the working poor, so it does not reach those most in dire need. Another push is for reducing jail time for nonviolent crimes and making greater use of probation and rehabilitation of ex-prisoners, in addition to redirecting current funding for prisons to funding for job training, as well as drug and medical treatment before release. Although studies of Head Start have not shown any substantial results, efforts are underway to develop better, well-designed alternatives. The author suggests other strategies, like paying highly skilled teachers $20,000 extra over 2 years to teach in high poverty areas and putting social and health services in those schools; establishing career academies and apprenticeship opportunities for non college-bound students; and supporting community colleges. Whatever is done, the author cautions that we cannot just discard this entire segment of the population; to do so would be devastating to our country, as well as more costly in the long run than providing these kids with the support to enable them to lead satisfying lives on their own without perpetual reliance on public welfare.

"How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character"

by Paul Tough

All loving parents want their children to have happy and successful lives. But how is that accomplished?  In his book "How Children Succeed", Paul Tough researches the most recent studies that try to answer that very question. Aware that the first three years are the most critical in a child's development, Tough begins by investigating the work of Micheal Meaney, a neuroscientist at Montreal's McGill University whose research focuses on rats and their licking and grooming processes. Results indicate that those infant pups who received the most comforting experience of licking and grooming from their mothers grew up braver, bolder, and better adjusted than those who were not so nurtured. These more fortunate babies were better at mazes, more curious, less aggressive, healthier, and lived longer lives.  In humans, the closest parallel to this behavior would be attachment between mother and child. Those infants who were more securely attached became attentive, engaged, obedient in class, and able to deal with setback as students. Those whose parents were disengaged or emotionally unavailable had problems in preschool, were anxious, anti-social, and immature. Researchers were able to predict with 77 percent  certainty, when a child was barely 4 years old, if they were likely to drop out of high school. They were even able to identify predictors, other than IQ, that were essential to a child's success: conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experiences, grit, optimism, perseverance, and character. In nursery school the proper focus of the teacher should be to develop character rather than convey information. To develop perseverance and focus, the child also needs a high level of warmth and nurturing, but he also needs to be allowed to fail. For example, if he falls,  allow him get up without assistance. If he makes a mistake, confront exactly how he messed up and encourage him to do better next time. Moreover, it is counterproductive for a parent to protect the child from everything or to provide him with all. A child needs discipline, rules, limits, and an occasional "no." Tough's research also shows the challenges that affluent kids face. They are more likely to demonstrate high levels of anxiety, as well as depression, because their parents are more likely to be emotionally distant while simultaneously expecting high levels of achievement.

Much of the information presented in this book is a given, however much is new, such as using the game of chess to teach personal skills usually left unaddressed in the higher grades where focus is on math, grammar, and language concepts.

It is replete with information about cognitive behavior therapy to counteract destructive behavior, educational strategies to model desirous behavior, new and evolving educational theory. Years ago, researcher Samuel Bowles observed that schools were rigged to create docile conformists where teachers rewarded drones for their punctuality and dependability rather than creativity, the result of which were "bland, reliable sheep." Education is changing. Much of the book's material is encouraging; for example, a mindset is malleable. With the proper direction, pessimistic children can be redirected toward an optimistic outlook. "How Children Succeed" is not so much a handbook or primer for parents on how to raise children as it is a collection of scientific studies devoted to helping children, particularly underprivileged ones, attain their full potential.

Donna DeLeo Bruno is a native Bristolian and a retired teacher of writing and literature. She now splits her time between Bristol and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where she gives book reviews at the local library as well as at book clubs and women's clubs. One of her pieces will be published in the fall edition of "The Gooseriver Anthology" 2015 (Maine).

Donna DeLeo Bruno

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