In OECD Global Skills Study, U.S. Millennials Come Up Short

[unokitty]

... an apparent paradox for U.S. millennials (born after 1980, ages 16–34): while they may be on track to be our most educated generation ever, they consistently score below many of their international peers in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Equally troubling is that these findings represent a decrease in literacy and numeracy skills when compared to results from previous years of U.S. adult surveys. As a country, simply providing more education may not be the answer.

PIAAC (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) results for the United States depict a nation burdened by contradictions. While the U.S. is the wealthiest nation among the OECD countries... A nation that spends more per student on primary through tertiary education than any other OECD nation systematically scores low on domestic and international assessments of skills. A nation ostensibly based on the principles of meritocracy ranks among the highest in terms of the link between social background and skill level. And a nation with some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world houses a college-educated population that scores among the lowest of the participating OECD nations in literacy and numeracy.

How do the average scores of U.S. millennials compare ...?
In literacy, U.S. millennials scored lower than 15 of the 22 participating countries...
In numeracy, U.S. millennials ranked last, along with Italy and Spain.
In PS-TRE, U.S. millennials also ranked last, along with the Slovak Republic, Ireland, and Poland.
The youngest segment of the U.S. millennial cohort (16- to 24-year-olds), ... ranked last in numeracy along with Italy and among the bottom countries in PS-TRE.

How do millennials with different levels of educational attainment perform over time and in relation to their peers internationally?
...Since 2003, the percentages of U.S. millennials scoring below level 3 in numeracy (the minimum standard) increased at all levels of educational attainment.
U.S. millennials with a four-year bachelor’s degree scored higher in numeracy than their counterparts in only two countries: Poland and Spain.
...Our best-educated millennials—those with a master’s or research degree—only scored higher than their peers in Ireland, Poland, and Spain.

What impact do demographic characteristics have on the performance of U.S. millennials?
Among all countries, there was a strong relationship between parental levels of educational attainment and skills; across all levels of parental educational attainment, there was no country where millennials scored lower than those in the United States.
The gap in scores between U.S. millennials with the highest level of parental educational attainment and those with the lowest was among the largest of the participating countries...

Three issues
One: Study seems to indicate that, in the US, spending more money on education didn't produce more learning.
Two: Study also seems to indicate that while more educated than their international peers, US millennials do not possess more skills...
Three: Study also seems to indicate that rather than moderating inequailty, the present US Educational System may be perpetuating inequality.

What do you think?

Despite the study, spending more money on education is the answer?

Present educational system perpetuating inequality?

I don't need any more skills, I too busy working on my PhD in (Select adjective here) Studies.

Or do you have some other insight?

Uno

 

[Newell Steamer]

We rarely mass produce actual products. That kind of work has gone overseas.

And, the very entities that are enjoying profits due to lower costs of making said actual products are getting tax breaks,.. with the intention that they will create more jobs. Well, they haven't and aren't.

The alternative is to study,.. study something, other than learn a craft to make something. And, that is why you have a slew of useless degrees.

But, what is more useful in life; a degree in Social Dynamics Studies? Or, knowing how to use various tools and craft something? I say the latter.

I would like to see more of a push toward craft and trade school type of course work. Couple that with some basic business course work/studies, and you have a tinder at the very least to start something.

Even if office related job descriptions are asking for MBA preferred, I think eventually people are going to realize, there really isn't a need for an MBA in business related work.

 

[Anubis]

spending more can be the answer, however the real issue is that we cater to the lowest common denominator which in turns brings everyone down, We for the most part stopped separating the special needs people from the normal group and the High end group gifted and talented programs also went away all because that might "make them feel bad"

the gifted students no longer get the extra attention they need to push them further because it all goes to those that need help passing some bullshit standard test.

standards got lower as a result, As a whole we do a horrid job of promoting STEM to students.

we need to start separating people like we used to 50 years ago and like what Germany does now. Sorry not everyone can be an astronaut. the sooner we stop telling that lie the better. We need to bring back vocational classes because there is a giant void of skilled trade workers in the country.

and lastly NOT EVERYONE HAS TO GO TO COLLEGE

 

[Smoblikat]

Makes sense, most millennials are liberal idiots.

 

[fskimospy]

spending more can be the answer, however the real issue is that we cater to the lowest common denominator which in turns brings everyone down, We for the most part stopped separating the special needs people from the normal group and the High end group gifted and talented programs also went away all because that might "make them feel bad"

the gifted students no longer get the extra attention they need to push them further because it all goes to those that need help passing some bullshit standard test.

standards got lower as a result, As a whole we do a horrid job of promoting STEM to students.

we need to start separating people like we used to 50 years ago and like what Germany does now. Sorry not everyone can be an astronaut. the sooner we stop telling that lie the better. We need to bring back vocational classes because there is a giant void of skilled trade workers in the country.

and lastly NOT EVERYONE HAS TO GO TO COLLEGE

Actually, there's not a lot of evidence that gifted and talented programs are at all effective. They often serve as a way for active and higher income families to direct resources towards their kids.

 

[theeedude]

Good news, Republicans, we are getting closer to having more Americans only qualified to do jobs now done by illegals.

 

[Genx87]

Good news, Republicans, we are getting closer to having more Americans only qualified to do jobs now done by illegals.

Spot the Millennial. Another over educated idiot heard from today.

 

[PokerGuy]

I don't think this would be much of a surprise for anyone. Our current education system is an abject failure in many ways. By pretty much every measure, the US seems to be falling behind many other countries in terms of performance. Funding it based on property taxes or income taxes inevitably makes it such that students in certain low income places are behind the 8 ball from the start.

However, you can't simply place the blame on lack of funding and call it a day, because in reality we spend a lot per capita, probably more than what most others spend.

Obviously there are other problems that play a part. Single parent households, lack of parental involvement, more emphasis on politically correct crap taught in schools instead of focusing on the important stuff, not separating high performing students from low performing ones, etc etc etc etc

 

[PokerGuy]

Good news, Republicans, we are getting closer to having more Americans only qualified to do jobs now done by illegals.

Ah yes, because we all know education is such a bastion of conservatism. In fact, pretty much all the schools -- especially in big cities -- are run by those evil conservatives, driving our results down. lol

 

[EduCat]

What exactly is wrong with our educational system? Is the rate at which we learn? The content? Seems to me it pretty much just comes down to parents/communities who care vs. ones that don't. No? The 'useless' degree argument is pretty lame IMO as not everyone can be the same 3 or 4 things in life.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Actually, there's not a lot of evidence that gifted and talented programs are at all effective. They often serve as a way for active and higher income families to direct resources towards their kids.

These programs worked well for my kids and helped them all develop a love for learning. My youngest has taken every possible AP program available...the workload is crazy but she can't stand being bored in school. Her 34 ACT is now giving her access to some of the best universities in this country...I'm a huge proponent of these programs. Kids who take AP courses are more likely to succeed in college...fact.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Good news, Republicans, we are getting closer to having more Americans only qualified to do jobs now done by illegals.

Perfect example of what a 'highly educated' idiot looks like!

 

[cliftonite]

These programs worked well for my kids and helped them all develop a love for learning. My youngest has taken every possible AP program available...the workload is crazy but she can't stand being bored in school. Her 34 ACT is now giving her access to some of the best universities in this country...I'm a huge proponent of these programs. Kids who take AP courses are more likely to succeed in college...fact.

I agree with this. AP exams gave me almost 2 years of credits.

 

[fskimospy]

These programs worked well for my kids and helped them all develop a love for learning. My youngest has taken every possible AP program available...the workload is crazy but she can't stand being bored in school. Her 34 ACT is now giving her access to some of the best universities in this country...I'm a huge proponent of these programs. Kids who take AP courses are more likely to succeed in college...fact.

Well I was referring to GATE programs in elementary and middle schools but even in your example surely you can see the huge autocorrelation and selection bias problems there. Are people more likely to succeed because of the education they got in AP classes or because the type of people who take AP classes are simply more likely to succeed in college?

In studies of GATE programs that rely on admissions criteria studies have looked at the difference in performance between students who barely made it in and those who barely missed (to largely account for differences in ability). GATE had no effect on student achievement.

So if it's not improving achievement maybe it's a waste of money, no?

 

[Anubis]

gifted and talented was free when I was in school, we just did different things or the same things faster/got more to do
free as in it didn't directly cost my parents anything, sure school had another teacher that was balanced into general cost of edu. I went to a standard pub school

 

[1prophet]

Actually, there's not a lot of evidence that gifted and talented programs are at all effective. They often serve as a way for active and higher income families to direct resources towards their kids.

Higher income families can and do put their kids in private schools if they think the public school is holding them back.

 

[fskimospy]

gifted and talented was free when I was in school, we just did different things or the same things faster/got more to do
free as in it didn't directly cost my parents anything, sure school had another teacher that was balanced into general cost of edu. I went to a standard pub school

Well sure it is free to the parents but it's not free to the school, so in the end that impacts everything else.

I think more research needs to be done, but the results I've seen so far don't offer a lot of support. If nothing else I think it casts doubt on the idea that our move away from GATE is the cause of our comparative disadvantage.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Well I was referring to GATE programs in elementary and middle schools but even in your example surely you can see the huge autocorrelation and selection bias problems there. Are people more likely to succeed because of the education they got in AP classes or because the type of people who take AP classes are simply more likely to succeed in college?

Your point on causation is moot in my opinion. Some think that our education system needs to accommodate those who actually want to be educated....imagine that!

In studies of GATE programs that rely on admissions criteria studies have looked at the difference in performance between students who barely made it in and those who barely missed (to largely account for differences in ability). GATE had no effect on student achievement.

So if it's not improving achievement maybe it's a waste of money, no?

So, does this mean you think Head Start is a waste of money as well?

 

[fskimospy]

Your point on causation is moot in my opinion. Some think that our education system needs to accommodate those who actually want to be educated....imagine that!

Don't be ridiculous, of course it isn't moot. If it doesn't actually improve student performance then it isn't very useful. You can't argue in favor of AP classes by saying a student is more likely to succeed in college and then when informed of the weakness in your argument say "well I just don't care".

So, does this mean you think Head Start is a waste of money as well?

Head Start, contrary to GATE programs is actually associated with a statistically significant improvement in student achievement. One thing to note though is that over time these achievement gains seem to peter out, which raises pretty important questions as to why. I would say in its current form it appears to be modestly useful but might not be worth the cost.

 

[Atreus21]

I don't need any more skills, I too busy working on my PhD in (Select adjective here) Studies.

Exactly. Too much theory. Not enough practice.

 

[glenn1]

Exactly. Too much theory. Not enough practice.

Agreed. For most kids there should be less classes like advanced math and more helping them develop their analytic and deductive reasoning skills and build their "emotional intelligence" skills. For the vast majority of folks "hard skills" like knowing calculus is far less valuable than "soft skills" like being able to professionally interact with a client, do some root cause analysis, understand what their true need is and suggest solutions for them.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Don't be ridiculous, of course it isn't moot. If it doesn't actually improve student performance then it isn't very useful. You can't argue in favor of AP classes by saying a student is more likely to succeed in college and then when informed of the weakness in your argument say "well I just don't care".

I don't care, arguing about the causation of future outcomes is pointless in my opinion. My point (which you've seemed to have missed) is that these students actually want to be educated and are bored to tears in less challenging classrooms. I don't know how anyone who truly values education can even remotely rationalize making a case for degrading the quality of education for society's most advanced students. But hey, that's just me.

Head Start, contrary to GATE programs is actually associated with a statistically significant improvement in student achievement. One thing to note though is that over time these achievement gains seem to peter out, which raises pretty important questions as to why. I would say in its current form it appears to be modestly useful but might not be worth the cost.

Head Start obviously has value. The problem is that its value erodes over time because of the lack of parental involvement. It isn't because the program is ineffective, it's because the parenting of the child is ineffective. If we don't compliment Head Start with 'parents as teacher' programs, it's just money thrown away. I would advocate that we not allow kids into Head Start unless their parents also enroll into programs to help them teach their kids as well.

 

[cbrunny]

Three words. Fire bad teachers.

 

[berzerker60]

Shocking, just shocking, considering America's usual #1 position in international education standards. This is surely a crazy aberration that we should blame Millenials for, rather than the same that's been the case for decades and decades...

Seriously, though, America's education system is really multiple systems, because it's tremendously segregated along race and class lines. Our best schools are as good as anywhere in the world. That's true for our mediocre schools, too. But our very worst schools are far worse than other places.

Three words. Fire bad teachers.

Teachers don't actually matter very much in terms of educational outcomes, compared to other aspects of the system. The strongest corollary of educational success, as measured (via a decades-long study tracking all high schoolers in Michigan) by improving your lot in life over where you started out, is parents' education levels, probably as a proxy for parental involvement and interest in education. School quality is a weak correlation - you're actually better off being the best student at a bad school than a mediocre student at a great school. If you want America's schools to improve, firing the teachers is like firing the factory foremen because Ford is doing poorly. It might make you feel better, in isolated cases it might even help things, but it's sure not the root of the problem.

 

[fskimospy]

I don't care, arguing about the causation of future outcomes is pointless in my opinion. My point (which you've seemed to have missed) is that these students actually want to be educated and are bored to tears in less challenging classrooms. I don't know how anyone who truly values education can even remotely rationalize making a case for degrading the quality of education for society's most advanced students. But hey, that's just me.

You are arguing against evidence based evaluation of educational programs. That's absurd. The fact that you need to try and say that anyone who wants to do so doesn't value education shows the weakness of what you're trying to say.

Argue for AP courses on the merits. Use actual research. It may be out there, I really have no idea.

Head Start obviously has value. The problem is that its value erodes over time because of the lack of parental involvement. It isn't because the program is ineffective, it's because the parenting of the child is ineffective. If we don't compliment Head Start with 'parents as teacher' programs, it's just money thrown away. I would advocate that we not allow kids into Head Start unless their parents make enroll into programs to help them teach their kids as well.

Arguing about the causation of future outcomes in pointless in my opinion. I don't know how anyone who truly values education can even remotely rationalize making a case for degrading the quality of education for society's most needy students. But hey, that's just me.

See how that works? Suddenly evidence matters when it's not your kid.