The article is about new “honors” colleges in public schools, but I don’t take anything on its surface. Here is my comment.
Beware of wolves in “sheepskin” clothing, no matter how freshened up that clothing may seem. Here is why I worry in this case.
First, there is the general performance of the schools mentioned here. The Brooking Institute did a value added study of colleges. (There is a link to it on my blog inside-higher-ed .) They compared mid career salaries with predicted mid-career salaries. Here is what I found for some of the colleges mentioned here.
Arizona State adds 11K to the predicted 73K; Princeton adds 28K to the predicted 85K; and, Portland State adds nothing to the predicted 70K.
Of course, these aren’t just the honors students, but in my experience, whether students learn does not depend on whether they are honors students. It depends on the administration and the faculty.
A big problem with colleges is that they are measured only by their input (SAT scores, etc.), not their output; and, worse yet, by what they SAY they are doing. In that way, they are just like institutions that serve any societal need. They are started by people who want to serve the public. Thus, they are trusted. Then,when the scoundrels see how easy the “marks” are, they quickly rise to the top.
Mr. Bruni, listen to them, but verify, verify, verify – or don’t report it, please. You are innocently and inadvertently helping some very smart, highly skilled salespeople, who know their complex business inside and out.
Recent Comments