Through Math for America, I am part of an on-going collaboration with the New York Times Learning Network. My latest contribution, a Test Yourself quiz-question, can be found here:
https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/test-yourself-math-june-27-2012/
This question deals with the high number of adults in prison in Louisiana. Of Louisiana’s 4.5 million residents, how many are in jail?
As I was changing over to play guitar, my friend started explaining to me how to operate his complicated foot-switch setup. He stepped on a switch.
Click. The light came on. “This one’s slapback.” Click. The light went off.
Click. “This one’s long delay.” Click.
Click. “This one’s boost.” Click.
I started to get confused. Then it hit me: there are
possible combinations of effects!
So I asked to go back to the bass.
This essay from the President of Reed College discusses what it’s like to live outside (and inside) the world of college rankings, essentially asking “Are these rankings meaningful?”
https://www.reed.edu/apply/college-rankings.html
It’s a familiar story to anyone who has ever contemplated teaching to the test. As rankings/ratings/grades become more and more important, colleges/schools/students (and teachers) tend to focus more and more on those metrics, perhaps at the expense of what’s really important (whatever that might be).
A perfect rating system, presumably, would compel the rated parties to meet and expand the standard of excellence. But in practice, it seems difficult to come to a consensus about what comprises excellence, and even harder, then, to construct an appropriate rating system.
So how should we measure a college or university?
