So, is homeschooling inferior?

[shanek]

Not according to this report:

http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/default.asp

In 2003, the Home School Legal Defense Association commissioned the largest research survey to date of adults who were home educated. Conducted by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, the study surveyed over 7,300 adults who were homeschooled. Over 5,000 of these had been home educated at least seven years, and the statistics in this synopsis are based on their responses. The results confirm what homeschoolers have thought for years: “No problem here.”

Over 74% of home-educated adults ages 18–24 have taken college-level courses, compared to 46% of the general United States population (Figure 1). Note that nearly half (49%) of the respondents in this study were still full-time students and many of these had not yet received their degrees, possibly resulting in lower numbers of earned degrees actually reported by homeschoolers. Even so, homeschool graduates hold their own when compared to the general U.S. population.

Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities. Seventy-one percent participate in an ongoing community service activity (e.g., coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association), compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages (Table 2). Eighty-eight percent of the homeschool graduates surveyed were members of an organization (e.g., such as a community group, church or synagogue, union, homeschool group, or professional organization), compared to 50% of U.S. adults.

Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates surveyed consider politics and government too complicated to understand, compared to 35% of U.S. adults (Table 2).

The results of Dr. Ray’s cutting-edge research defuse long-held false criticisms of homeschooling and seem to indicate that homeschooling produces successful adults who are actively involved in their communities and who continue to value education for themselves and their children.

 

[Silicon]

So according to a study by the National Home Education Research Institute paid for by the Home School Legal Defense Association, home schooling is doing an excellent job?


WOW!


That sounds positively compelling.

 

[shanek]

Come on, argue the data, not the source.

 

[Bjorn]

Not to rain on the parade here, Shanek, but do we know much about how the parents who choose home-schooling compared to those who don't?

Could they, as an average, be more interested in their children's education, maybe they spend more time with them, maybe they are simply more intelligent in the first place or regard education more important in general?

I have nothing against home schooling, on the contrary, but I'm simply not sure if these statistics prove anything about the quality of public compared to home-based education. Nor does it say anything about the hours put in.

So according to a study by the National Home Education Research Institute paid for by the Home School Legal Defense Association, home schooling is doing an excellent job?

Honestly, this argument could well be wrong but still shouldn't be shrugged off. Homeopaths and such hear it all the time.

 

[Silicon]

Self-selected positive respondants measured against census data of the general population.


How's that?

 

[Bjorn]

Self-selected positive respondants measured against census data of the general population.

How's that?

It's a good line, but I'm not sure if it's an accurate one.

I don;t know the research behind the numbers, that's one thing, but more important for me personally is that the home-schooling I've seen close up has given excellent results.

I would rather guess "Self selected, intelligent, interested parents measured against the general population. If I were to guess.

 

[Silicon]

I would rather guess "Self selected, intelligent, interested parents measured against the general population. If I were to guess.

Follow this link.
http://www.nheri.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=27

Although I'm not willing to pay $9 for the study itself, it's clear that he surveyed respondents, rather than establishing a random group beforehand and tracking their progress. Since the study was commissioned in 2003, this isn't any kind of longitudinal study. Probably not a sample of the general population, either.

The target population was all adults in the United States who had been home educated, regardless of whether thought positively or negatively about having been homeschooled. A written survey (questionnaire) and follow-up interviews were used to gather information about the participants.

So yes, this is a self-selecting group of people willing to respond to a survey about home schooling.

I'd further be interested in just HOW he got the list of families to which he sent questionaires.

Probably from the HSLDA, I'll wager.

Totally self-selecting. Better to do a random population sample.


Sorry, it's just plain sloppy. If that's their method of "proof," I find them highly suspect as a source of information.

 

[Bjorn]

So yes, this is a self-selecting group of people willing to respond to a survey about home schooling.

I'd further be interested in just HOW he got the list of families to which he sent questionaires.

Probably from the HSLDA, I'll wager.

Totally self-selecting. Better to do a random population sample.

Sorry, it's just plain sloppy. If that's their method of "proof," I find them highly suspect as a source of information.

I won't argue against that at all. I was, as I stated, thinking more along the lines of 'who chooses home-schooling in the first place', are they the poor and uneducated, the average, or above average?

Anecdote: On the other hand, what (not so little) I've seen of home-schooling has certainly showed good results, maybe because the parents were somehow qualified, interested, intelligent and had time to put into it.

Which makes me think that their children could score above average even in unbiased research, but that's another story.

Home-schooling might not be for everyone, but I have no reason to believe it couldn't beat public schools under certain circumstances - cost, for instance, would prevent a not-so-random group of the population from going for it.

 

[shanek]

Could they, as an average, be more interested in their children's education, maybe they spend more time with them, maybe they are simply more intelligent in the first place or regard education more important in general?

Possibly. But that effect would also refute many of the complaints about homeschooling.

 

[c0rbin]

Too many variables?

Scholastic success depends on the middle that is met between student, teacher, and curriculum.

There is no golden key.

 

[The idea]

Picture this: Joe Stalin not a dictator, but an immigrant musician and family man. His son, Shostakovich, is being home-schooled by Joe Stalin. (The lady of the house brings home the bacon.) Shostakovich is, on his own initiative, focusing on music. One problem: Joe Stalin sees hints of Mendelian formalism in the genetic structure of Shostakovich's music. Shostakovich just turned twelve. Is Shostakovich now old enough to move away from home and support himself without any help from old man Stalin?

 

[Bjorn]

Possibly. But that effect would also refute many of the complaints about homeschooling.

About homeschooling as a choice, certainly.

Maybe not about homeschooling as the general way of educating children, because it would most probably leave quite a few unqualified parents with the task of teaching someone what they don't know themselves.

 

[shanek]

About homeschooling as a choice, certainly.

Yes, that's what I meant. So many people, including many here on this board, portray homeschooling as just an excuse that fundamentalist parents use to keep their children from learning about evilushun. As this data shows, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[American]

Home-schoolers think "normal" is a relative term. It isn't, at least not in practice. If you think having no friends (except other freaks like yourself) is normal, then perhaps they have a point.


Unless there's an overwhelming reason to do it, like the kid is a born devil or you live in a crazy-high crime area, there's absolutely no reason to shelter your kid that much. It should be a crime.

 

[Bjorn]

Home-schoolers think "normal" is a relative term. It isn't, at least not in practice. If you think having no friends (except other freaks like yourself) is normal, then perhaps they have a point.


Unless there's an overwhelming reason to do it, like the kid is a born devil or you live in a crazy-high crime area, there's absolutely no reason to shelter your kid that much. It should be a crime.

Sorry - I didn't know this was about not having friends. Please elaborate.

Maybe I think I have a special child, with special challenges or special abilities, or maybe I simply think we could do better on our own than within 'the system' - do you think we should be allowed to?

I have travelled to, lived in and worked in a lot of countries, meeting a lot of expats that relied on some kind of home-schooling or another. As an average, I would say I met well educated, well behaved children with far less problems than many of their contemporaries at home (don't forget my thoughts about not being an average crowd in the first place).

 

[aerocontrols]

Picture this: Joe Stalin not a dictator, but an immigrant musician and family man.

I'm having a tough time picturing a regular immigrant/family man musician changing his name to Joe Steel like some Bond villain.

Of course, as a family man, perhaps he could change it to Sade and pronounce it 'stalin'.

yeah, ok... I'm up to late. Carry on with the on-topic...

 

[Bjorn]

Yes, that's what I meant. So many people, including many here on this board, portray homeschooling as just an excuse that fundamentalist parents use to keep their children from learning about evilushun.

I don't.

As this data shows, nothing could be further from the truth.

Of that, I'm not sure. The data shows that the home-schooled children in this survey (significant or not) did better than the average children. It doen't disprove what fundamentalist parents might want to do ....

 

[Hexxenhammer]

Home-schoolers think "normal" is a relative term. It isn't, at least not in practice. If you think having no friends (except other freaks like yourself) is normal, then perhaps they have a point.


Unless there's an overwhelming reason to do it, like the kid is a born devil or you live in a crazy-high crime area, there's absolutely no reason to shelter your kid that much. It should be a crime.

Dog help me, I agree 100%. Ever see one of those national spelling bees? A lot of those kids are home schooled and they're freaks. Seems like only insane people and religious fanatics home school.

Note I said seems like because those are the only ones you ever see or hear about.

 

[shuize]

Freaks, yes. But damn can they ever spell.*



*Provided of course they are allowed to practice freakish quirks like speaking into their hands before pronoucing every letter.

 

[Jagged Blossom]

Seems like only insane people and religious fanatics home school.

Note I said seems like because those are the only ones you ever see or hear about.

To be perfectly fair, I have met a fair amount of insane people and religious fanatics who attend public schools.

The weirdest people I have met, on the whole, were graduates of a preschool-12th grade Montessori program. I was a Montessori teacher for a year, and let me tell you, these people are some elitist freaks!

No offense to any Montessori alumni...I can only comment based on what I have seen. In my opinion, they are far worse than the home schoolers!