At least academically, it's an incontrovertible fact that Asian-Americans outperform their white peers (and every other ethnic group). But why such dominance? That's what sociologists Amy Hsina and Yu Xie set out to uncover, scouring data from two long-term surveys covering more than 5000 U.S. Asian and white students. The answer? It's a shocker: They work harder. There is, however, an interesting element: "Students from all Asian ethnic groups put greater importance on effort than on natural ability." … [Read more...] about Why Do Asian-American Students Outperform Their White Peers?
Cultural Engagement and the Recent Q Conference
Hunter Baker offers insightful reflections from his time attending the Q conference in Nashville. An excerpt: When I look at Q, its hosts, and the young people participating in it, I suspect I am seeing the cultural stance of those who have grown up in pervasively Christian subcultures. For them, rebelling means rebelling against Massive Baptist Church or Church Related University or Clearly Wealthy Famous Preacherman. Those are the holders of power in their world. It is little wonder to them that the dominant culture dislikes us. We are hypocrites. We don’t measure up to our own standards. … [Read more...] about Cultural Engagement and the Recent Q Conference
Want Proof of Grade Inflation?
David Brooks of the NY Times is a fair-minded journalist: Every year researchers at U.C.L.A. do a survey of incoming college freshmen. These surveys, conducted over four decades now, show how the life cycle has changed over the past couple generations. This first thing you see from this and similar data sets is that high school has gotten a bit easier. In 1966, only about 19 percent of high school students graduated with an A or A- average. By 2013, 53 percent of students graduated with that average. … [Read more...] about Want Proof of Grade Inflation?
What Awaits 2014 Grads in the Working World?
From a March 2014 survey of more than 2,000 students (conducted by Accenture): Read more, or download the full PDF. … [Read more...] about What Awaits 2014 Grads in the Working World?
Success Depends on What You Do in College, Not Where You Go
That's the result from the inaugural Gallup-Purdue Index, a joint-research effort between Purdue University and Lumina Foundation to study the relationship between the college experience and college graduates' lives. In a nutshell, students are more likely to thrive after graduation, at work and outside of work, when they have the right kinds of support and experience during their college years. Support Professors who make them excited about learning. Professors who care about them as people. Professors who encourage them to pursue their goals and dreams. Experience Worked … [Read more...] about Success Depends on What You Do in College, Not Where You Go
Fathers Crucial in Preparing Teens for College
Great article today in the NY Post by Naomi Schaefer Riley on the importance of fathers in preparing teens for college (and life): An American Enterprise Institute report last month found, “Compared to teens who reported that their fathers were not involved, teens with involved fathers were 98 percent more likely to graduate from college, and teens with very involved fathers were 105 percent more likely to graduate from college.” Why? Riley writes, "Fathers seem to do a better job fostering independence in kids. And one of the biggest challenges of succeeding in higher education is the … [Read more...] about Fathers Crucial in Preparing Teens for College