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Book Review: School Organization and School Achievement: A Study Based on Achievement in Mathematics in Twelve Countries

Book Review: School Organization and School Achievement: A Study Based on Achievement in... BOOK REVIEWS Postlethwaite, N., School Organization and School Achievement: A Study Based on Achievement in Mathematics in Twelve Countries. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1967. Pp. 146. $8.00. This book, and the parent study (Husen et al., 1967), are first attempts at quantitative international surveys of educational achievement. Postlethwaite reviews data collected by the International Project for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and examines some aspects of school organization. His major focus relates to retentivity and differentiation, his minor focus to specialization and age of entry to school. Survey methods are well described and preliminary comparisons of the 12 countries developed. For those who seek the facts there is neither lack of statistics nor of reviews of statistics, although the 52 tables contained in the main text may prove heavy going for the more general reader. Australian administrators and mathematics teachers should consider the low ranking of Australian students on the international achievement percentiles established. While Postlethwaite recognizes the problems related to variables and stresses the need for caution in view of the difficulties of fine interpretation, he does state the following general conclusions. Retentivity. It is possible to have both a high overall yield and an undiminished elite yield. Differentiation. Inter-school and intra-school ability grouping are associated with large standard deviations, this being caused by the lower scores of culturally disadvantaged children. In a non-differentiated system, these children tend to score higher. Specialization. Specialization, in the sense of restricting the number of subjects studied in the pre-university year, is not necessarily related to higher scores in mathematics. Age of Entry to School. There is not much to choose between entry at five years of age and entry at six years of age, but lower scores at 13 years of age are associated with entry at seven years of age. It seems that children from higher social groups may benefit more from early entry to school than those from the lower social groups. Postlethwaite intends that educational planners and policy-makers consider the issues related to school organization that the survey raises. Existing and accepted grouping patterns may not achieve the advantages claimed, and lower standards are no necessary outcome of increased retentivity. At pre­ university level, the study of a restricted range of subjects need not necessarily raise standards. In asking that planners and policy-makers question the obvious, it is hoped that there may be some critical review of whether established school organization practices are well based educationally. Indeed, existing patterns may reflect the long accumulated accretions of political and adminis­ trative convenience. As an attempt to review student achievement and school organization at the international level, Postlethwaite's analysis and commentary merits note. D. A. JEeKs, Department of Education, University of Sydney. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian Journal of Education SAGE

Book Review: School Organization and School Achievement: A Study Based on Achievement in Mathematics in Twelve Countries

Jecks, D. A.
Australian Journal of Education , Volume 13 (3): 1 – Oct 1, 1969
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1969 Australian Council for Educational Research
ISSN
0004-9441
eISSN
2050-5884
DOI
10.1177/000494416901300314
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS Postlethwaite, N., School Organization and School Achievement: A Study Based on Achievement in Mathematics in Twelve Countries. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1967. Pp. 146. $8.00. This book, and the parent study (Husen et al., 1967), are first attempts at quantitative international surveys of educational achievement. Postlethwaite reviews data collected by the International Project for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and examines some aspects of school organization. His major focus relates to retentivity and differentiation, his minor focus to specialization and age of entry to school. Survey methods are well described and preliminary comparisons of the 12 countries developed. For those who seek the facts there is neither lack of statistics nor of reviews of statistics, although the 52 tables contained in the main text may prove heavy going for the more general reader. Australian administrators and mathematics teachers should consider the low ranking of Australian students on the international achievement percentiles established. While Postlethwaite recognizes the problems related to variables and stresses the need for caution in view of the difficulties of fine interpretation, he does state the following general conclusions. Retentivity. It is possible to have both a high overall yield and an undiminished elite yield. Differentiation. Inter-school and intra-school ability grouping are associated with large standard deviations, this being caused by the lower scores of culturally disadvantaged children. In a non-differentiated system, these children tend to score higher. Specialization. Specialization, in the sense of restricting the number of subjects studied in the pre-university year, is not necessarily related to higher scores in mathematics. Age of Entry to School. There is not much to choose between entry at five years of age and entry at six years of age, but lower scores at 13 years of age are associated with entry at seven years of age. It seems that children from higher social groups may benefit more from early entry to school than those from the lower social groups. Postlethwaite intends that educational planners and policy-makers consider the issues related to school organization that the survey raises. Existing and accepted grouping patterns may not achieve the advantages claimed, and lower standards are no necessary outcome of increased retentivity. At pre­ university level, the study of a restricted range of subjects need not necessarily raise standards. In asking that planners and policy-makers question the obvious, it is hoped that there may be some critical review of whether established school organization practices are well based educationally. Indeed, existing patterns may reflect the long accumulated accretions of political and adminis­ trative convenience. As an attempt to review student achievement and school organization at the international level, Postlethwaite's analysis and commentary merits note. D. A. JEeKs, Department of Education, University of Sydney.

Journal

Australian Journal of Education – SAGE

Published: Oct 1, 1969

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