Free Republic

Education School researchers at Stanford found that ethnic studies courses boost grades and attendance. Apparently, it never occurred to them to ask what exactly the students learn in them. "New research shows gains in attendance and GPA of at-risk high school students from incorporating culturally relevant pedagogy," Brooke Donald reported in a news release from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. "A high school ethnic studies course examining the role of race, nationality and culture on identity and experience boosted attendance and academic performance of students at risk of dropping out, a new study by scholars at Stanford Graduate School...

Cost-benefit analysis may not be their strong suit but education majors may have figured out how to get the best return on their investment from college. “More than 50 years ago scholars were already noting the low grad­ing standards in university education departments,” Jason Richwine and Andrew G. Biggs wrote in a report published by the Heritage Center for Data Analysis. “The Journal of Higher Education reported in 1960 that 32 percent of students in education courses received ‘A’ grades, compared to just 16 percent in business courses.” “A half century later, the situation is little changed.” The report was...