ERIC Number: ED454946
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001-Apr-22
Pages: 22
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Setting Educational Priorities: High Achievers Speak Out. White Paper.
Dickeson, Robert C.
Noting that high achieving Indiana high school students can provide important insights into the educational system in the state, this study examined the opinions of recipients of Ameritchieve recognition, National Merit finalists, African-American students who were National Achievement finalists, and national Hispanic Scholar finalists, all from within a 75-mile radius of Indianapolis. A survey regarding educational priorities in Indiana was sent to 224 central Indiana honorees. A total of 75 surveys were returned for a response rate of 33 percent. Key findings indicated that high achievers credited good teachers as the most important factor in the success they have enjoyed. They also identified poor teachers as the key detractor in quality education. Further, they listed"attracting and retaining future teachers" as the first option they would recommend for policymakers concerned with educational quality. Only half the students had ever considered becoming a teacher, and only 3 of the 75 identified teaching as a specific career goal. Reasons identified for teacher shortages included the need for better pay and more benefits, more freedom from the stress of regulations and standards, and more respect and prestige. Other significant factors in the students' success were the high educational levels of their parents and their exposure to academic programs for gifted students. Of the 39 students who had made a decision about which college they would attend, 46 percent selected colleges or universities outside Indiana. (Appended is a list of the Ameritchieve committee members.) (KB)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Aspiration, Career Choice, Educational Policy, High Achievement, High School Students, High Schools, Parent Background, Performance Factors, Student Attitudes, Surveys, Teacher Shortage, Teaching (Occupation)
For full text: http://www. luminafoundation.org/Publications/pdfs/ameritchieve2001.PDF.
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Lumina Foundation for Education, Indianapolis, IN.
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A