Educational Goods: Values, Evidence, and Decision-MakingWe spend a lot of time arguing about how schools might be improved. But we rarely take a step back to ask what we as a society should be looking for from education—what exactly should those who make decisions be trying to achieve? In Educational Goods, two philosophers and two social scientists address this very question. They begin by broadening the language for talking about educational policy: “educational goods” are the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that children develop for their own benefit and that of others; “childhood goods” are the valuable experiences and freedoms that make childhood a distinct phase of life. Balancing those, and understanding that not all of them can be measured through traditional methods, is a key first step. From there, they show how to think clearly about how those goods are distributed and propose a method for combining values and evidence to reach decisions. They conclude by showing the method in action, offering detailed accounts of how it might be applied in school finance, accountability, and choice. The result is a reimagining of our decision making about schools, one that will sharpen our thinking on familiar debates and push us toward better outcomes. |
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Educational Goods: Values, Evidence, and Decision-Making Harry Brighouse,Helen F. Ladd,Susanna Loeb,Adam Swift No preview available - 2018 |
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ability accountability achievement additional adequacy advantaged allow approach assess attention average based accountability benefit better capacity charter schools childhood choice clear cognitive concern consider considerations contribute cost countries decision makers democratic depend designed disadvantaged discussion distribution districts economic educational effects equality evidence example experience families ffourishing focus funding gaps goals greater groups higher identified important improve income increase independent individual inequalities interests judgments knowledge lead learning least less limited lives lower math measures offs outcomes overall parents particular percent performance play policy makers positive practice production programs public schools raise range reason reduce regulations relative relevant require respect skills social specific spending standard student achievement studies supplementation teachers test scores tion trade traditional typically United values variation