Future of Education Systems Considered

The covid-19 and future of education systems were published recently by the National Association of School Boards and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. In it, the authors lay out a model for how to measure school performance and identify key factors that can determine whether schools are meeting their goals. They point out that the goal of any educational system is to provide students with the “best start in life” and to give them an environment where “learning is fun and learning is easy.” The focus on student development ties in with the growing interest and concern about equity, and access in our nation’s schools.

Equity refers to comparing one group to another with an aim to maintain or create equality of opportunity. Equity also means evaluating different systems in light of potential for learning, growth, and contribution of groups according to their demographics, abilities, experiences, and context. Educational equity refers to the ability of people of different races, ethnicities, gender, age, disability, etc. to learn and do well as part of a common pool that benefits from the educational opportunities provided.

The authors also recommend developing a framework for evaluating education systems. This would entail “system thinking,” which is the use of informed decisions about the school system and society at large. They also recommend the adoption of “discovery-based” instruction to improve instruction and enhance student learning. These discoveries could be based on social science, psychology, geography, mathematics, and other naturalistic approaches to learning.