Source: TopMastersInEducation.com
Another fascinating info graphic on homeschooling has been circling the internet. Like the one we wrote about previously this one shows homeschoolers excelling by nearly every possible measure when compared to their contemporaries in public schools. I was once again struck by the equalizing effect of homeschooling. No matter if both or neither parent holds a college degree, students in those families still score in the 80-90th percentiles. Differences in family incomes creates a small difference of 4 percentage points on tests, but that is far less than the differences exhibited by public schooled children from poor school districts when compared to students from wealthy districts. The parental possession of a teaching certificate barely makes a difference for educational outcomes. What this says to me is that parental educational background, income level, certification, educational dollars spent, and a dozen other factors are so much less important than parental involvement. While the other factors often take center stage in our national debates about education reform, it really is the parents and family commitment to education that makes the real difference in student lives. This is strongly demonstrated in these statistics on homeschooling and I think that it applies to our students in private and public schools as well. A whole world of educational issues, problems, and challenges could be solved if parents took ownership of their children's education and were more involved. So, kudos to you, our readers, for your investment in your children's lives! You are making a significant and measurable difference in the lives of your children and are to be commended for your efforts and diligence. We know that it isn't always easy and you've picked a more challenging road, but your time and energy are not wasted. Here's to the new school year - may you enter it inspired by the knowledge that your investment is well worth the effort and is making a difference.
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Great graphic and great analysis! I happen to live in a district where they spend a lot on teachers' salaries, facilities, programs, etc. yet the test scores are horrible and the school is failing. I keep saying, you can't buy good test scores and academic success. The home situation of the kids in our district is absolutely horrible. Parental involvement is horrible. They have great schools to attend with some of the best teacher salaries, yet only 3% of the 8th graders passed the state test in Language Arts and Math. I'm so grateful I can homeschool our children!
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