The Trouble with Ranking Schools
March 14, 2001
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INTRODUCTION: Ranking schools was a good idea that has gone too far. This map show what is happening at the moment and how the whole system may in the end be self-defeated We paint two scenarios. One arising from not acting in time and another in which preventive action saves the system so that we can continue to benefit from it.
(Fig 1)Initially the school ranking system (box 1) helped to spur school to do better by competing against each other (box 2). Over time, in trying to stay ahead in the league tables, a vicious cycle was created between Box 2 and Box 3. E.g., Schools dissuade weaker students from taking on certain subjects in order not to depress the school's scores and hence it's ranking. This is wrong. The honest response is to help the weaker students, not discourage them. How long can you keep doing this? There are always limits to growth in a reinforcing loop. You could get to the point where the schools ranking become stable. Then by the system, which is good but never perfect, each school is already the best that it can be. |
Maps
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(Fig 2) But there are earlier "limits of growth" prior to achieving a stable ranking. The activities around Box 3 will create a backlash. Parents and students will complain that instead of the system serving us, we have become slaves to the system (box 4). This lead to increasing unhappiness (box 5) and growing resentment towards the system - the dotted arrow from Box 5 to Box 2. |
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(Fig 3) Scenario 1: Waiting to long to act. Beyond providing feedback to school and the Education Ministry, parents and students cannot do very much more. Meanwhile, as schools struggle to stay and improve their position in the ranking, it is a matter of time the initiatives to achieve it becomes a absurd situation of serving the system (box 1). With the growing ill will, and especially the distortions that have been built up over the years, a good concept may have to be dismantled because nobody will give it a chance to be reformed anymore - the blue dotted arrow from Blue Box 1 to Box 2. In its place a new system would be created (box 2). In time, in a different form we would repeat our silliness all over again. Unfortunately it seems that there is no need to do better, because it is like this the world over. We are already ahead of nearly everyone. We pat ourselves and turn our backs to them to render us the same compliment too. Scenario 2, however show us how we should and can do better. |
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(Fig 4) Scenario 2: Timely Action. The rising unhappiness (box 5) should be picked up by the school principals' bosses (box 1), which would then study how to make adjustments (box 2) such that we become master of and not servants to the system (box 4). If necessary, the ranking system should be de-emphasized or retrenched proactively - the dotted arrow from Blue Box 2 to Box 2. Why wait till it is too late to take action and preserve the good parts of the existing system? Has not the "Graduate mothers episode" taught us something about acting early?
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