Is The American Education At Risk? (Part 5)

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Yes, according this article. So, what factors have put the US education at Risk? The author of the article mentioned the legislative branch. In order to answer that important question, one needs to evaluate the whole elements that make-up the system. It can be approached from many angles. However, the most efficient way is from analyzing who are the stakeholders. The following list show the main players in the education industry:

  1. Students.
  2. Parents.
  3. Teachers.
  4. School administrators.
  5. Private companies–read lobbyists.
  6. Executive branch–administration or government.
  7. Legislative branch-the lawmakers in the Hill.

The list above can be cramped into 3 group: (1). Parents, students and School Administrators (PSSA); (2). Executive branch (EB); and (3).Legislative branch plus lobbyists (LBL). Furthermore, one might be able to squeeze further the above classifications into two groups ,i.e. the policy makers (PM) and the policy doers (PD). The article suspects that PM is the real culprit. Readers need to notice that one sub-element in PM is the lobbyists who provide services to make profit/money. Therefore, their interests often contradict the PD’s interests in which it has embedded parents’ interests. The real example of such a conflict is on student loans. Supposedly, PM should work for its constituents’ interests. But, in case of student loans it does not reflect that at all. Luckily, members of PM are elected officials with finite term to serve. Therefore, the constituents are able to select (vote) which of the candidate will be able to represent their needs. The constituents have the ability to make a rational choice, instead of irrational. Unless this issue got resolved, the US will continue facing the issue in its education. Please click the following links to access Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Is The American Education At Risk? (Part 4)

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There are a couple of big words during the press conference, and one of them is supply-chain that will be structured within the following conditions or pre-req:

  1. The supply chain will be built within the bloc member countries.
  2. It will be developed based on the Ricardian concept of free-trade.

Contrary to what has happened in the past, in this new-world partnerships, the so called supply chain no longer is based on low-labor wages, but to membership. Learning from the past, country like China has the low labor cost, but the country philosophy no longer fit well with the West. In other words, the West is hopeful that after the Chinese government under Deng Xio Ping opened the door to the Western countries, the Chinese government will be more opened. It did, until after the recent development that showed otherwise.

Under the new partnership, the democratic bloc will work within its members, and economic prosperity will be spread among them only. The real example of such a trade policy is in placed by the so-called “country of preference”. Consequently, economic growth will shift tremendously from China to other democratic countries. The big holes left by China can be filled pretty fast by other countries that have the same potentials where their population resembled closely that of China’s. In particular, from the countries in Asia.

What does it means for China? It can shift its trade partnership not only among its bloc countries, but also to others so-called non-alliance countries. What does it mean for the US? Under this new development, the US has to work hard to improve its education system. It has the resource to do so–what it lack however, is the coherent partnerships among the stakeholders. In particular, among parents, students, school administrators, the executive branch as well as the lawmakers in the Hill. Each element needs to understand what are its unique roles to make this to happen. For example, if one plan to prepare a hamburger for dinner–she or he should have the other necessary ingredients. Having the bunch alone will not make a hamburger. Likewise, having the beef patty alone without the bunch will not make a hamburger either. It is a join-effort, and no one can do it alone. Not even the executive branch and the example for it is pretty clear on the case of student loans forgiveness initiative. The plan is in limbo because it got sued from many parties. The competitor-country-bloc know exactly this play book and they will make every efforts in their disposal to fail the US education system.

Is The American Education At Risk? (Part 3)

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The Association has laid-out the background information on such important topic. While the US legislative branch is divided by the colors, the executive branch has made important steps to put the ground work to make the US less dependent on the competitors. It started with the less-dependent on oil commodity, and recently its break away from the supply-chain that has been relied heavily in the past. On Fridays, March 24, 2023, the current administration has worked closely with its neighboring country to fill the broken supply-chain. During the press-conference, it is clear that the new-world-passage has been established and introduced. Two block-of-country were formed, and the world back to the cool war–a new cool war where the world is divided into either Democracy or Authoritarian country (Neo-authoritarian-one party system). It is interesting to note that the meeting of the two leaders of the free-world occurred a day after the two most powerful totalitarian countries ended their owned meetings. Is this coincident? The answer is no, it is the counter balance and the speedy answers of the free-world. The world has seen that the two countries are ruled under one-party system. However, the recent development showdown only confirmed further that the “Son-of Heaven” can only partner with other country that embraced the similar system. What will be the impacts to US education system under such a new development in geopolitics. The answer is huge–which will be discussed in part 4.

Is The American Education At Risk? (Part 2)

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Readers will understand part 2, after reading the part 1. Discussed in the first part, and under the “Son of Heaven” Philosophy, it is natural from China to think that every Han is part of the system and apparatus of the emperor–translated in the modern world is the head of the party. Therefore, many cases are found in the US, where college professors directly or indirectly are seen of taking temporary leave from the mother-land, and if the time has arrived, they will be called to go back to serve the emperor. So, make no surprise if the emperor have sent so many of its apparatus to study abroad, and this policy has been so successful to bring the country making the jump to be the second-largest economic power in the world. Economic prosperity leads to advancements in the STEM areas as well.

Therefore, if the US wants to keep its high standard-of-living, it should restart from improving its school system; and the politicians have to make such a long-run nation’s objective to become a priority. From the reality that one can see, it seems that this becomes an impossible mission. Has anyone thought that the situation is also a result of the competitors who try to weaken the US? If the colors become the divider factors, instead of the unifying elements then soon the competitors will prevail, in facts they have. The competitors not just use colors, but also in all fronts such as drugs and the beauty of diversity to weaken the country.

Is The American Education At Risk? (Part 1)

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According to the following article, it is. This article stresses the importance role of the policy makers in the Hill to shape the American education, but the author may not think they have done enough. The magnitude of the risk is even greater today compared to decades ago. The ordinary citizens in the US have noticed that many product sold at the groceries stores were made from other countries. The import substitution, free-trade and competitive advantages ideas are so popular decades ago, and now it is fair to evaluate, if this policy makes the US better-off. One cannot deny that the US has benefitted by adopting such trade policy, at least in the short-run. However, what is the side effects of such a policy. One thing for sure in that the exporting countries who have the labor or wage comparative advantage against the US became the most important US trading partners (competitors in the long-run). While other countries in Asia has benefitted from free-trade, China becomes a country that has benefitted most. Parallel with its economic growth, this country is becoming competitor in many fronts and therefore change the geo-politics balance in the world. It started to expand it territorial if necessary through force. Therefore, make a claim, and created border dispute with its neighboring countries. Noticeably in the South China sea. What makes China’s ability to make the leap? Education is one of the factors, plus its philosophy or belief that China is the center of the world. “It implies, first, an ethnic Han polity, which is inherently authoritarian. Second, it requires that a single powerful monarch, the Chinese emperor (“Son of Heaven”) should rule the entire civilized world — which by definition should be unified under the emperor’s control so that disorder and chaos may be avoided, and reason and just rule may triumph” quoted from The Diplomat (https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/the-world-according-to-china/)

Let Us Be Fair: Survey on Impacts of Social Media Apps on Students’ Learning Outcomes

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Recently, all media reported of how a social media apps CEO was grilled in the Hill. From the Q&A, one cannot see data that support the claims that the apps does or does not affect the users. Reported recently that the apps has negative impacts, especially among the younger generation. Click here for reading the report. However, the story was quoted from just one-person. As a Data Scientist, one needs not to make any decision or conclusion only based on limited observation for it is practically impossible to justify and make strategic decisions because of one observation. In order to find better answers on the issue, AAEA is conducting a survey, and we invite everyone all over the world to participate by clicking the following link:

==THE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY==

Thank you for your participation. The results will be shared on this site.

US Higher Education Institutions’ Financial Stress Tests: Debt to Equity Ratio

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The IRI or EA (Education Analytics) is a great approach to study all aspects of Colleges’ operations–not just teaching or learning outcomes, but also institutional financial aspects. Never been shared before, how financial strengths can be measured by IRI/EA, but in this site. Exactly ten yeas ago (March 23, 2013), the Association has completed and shared these studies to test the US higher education institutions’ financial strengths which is equivalent to the required stress tests on the Banking industry after 2018 financial crisis hit the country. To accomplish such research tasks, AAEA first pulled the college financial information along with other data found at NCES database that covered 2008 through 2010. The data set consist of 16729 observations and 63 variables or fields–which after cleaning generate the following results (please click here to access the results). This example, one again demonstrates why higher education institutions in the US is better-off to have someone who is well rounded and capable to carry out the analyses. An expert that has various business and economic knowledge along with solid statistical analyses and econometric modeling experience will help the institutions to study their historical internal data which can be utilized in making strategic decisions. Data visualization is helpful, but no longer enough in today’s world marked with hyper-competition to attract the best brains in the world (not just in the US), as well as donation dollars.

Education Analytics (EA) = Institutional Research Intelligence (IRI)

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This site was established in March 2013, exactly ten years ago. We noticed there were three important developments have happened during that ten-year period.

  • Data Science (DS) profession has developed faster than EA. The adoptions of DS by all industry types have begun many years ago, especially by the credit card companies. After the Association was established, DS adoption has accelerated in the fastest pace in part because of the technology advancements, market competition, availability of big data gathered through internet, and the availability of cheaper data storages.
  • Majority of higher education institutions in the US are offering Data Science program at all levels, i.e., Certificates, Undergraduate, Masters’ and Ph.D.
  • However, the EA adoption, by US Colleges and Universities is lagging. Compared to the non-education industry. That is to say, the growth of EA adoption is not significant enough. The question that one might have is, why?

Harvard University took the lead to encourage higher education institutions in the US to apply or use institutional historical data in decision making process. Traditionally, this role supposed to be promoted through Institutional Research Association. However, past data showed that most institutions stressed two areas (1). Reporting purposes to both federal, state entities such as IPEDS as well as private data gathering organizations such as USNEWS or College Board; and (2). The most that Colleges and Universities did in the past were to have some sort of data visualization, generated mainly using Excel, before adopting either Tableau or Power BI software.

The College of Education at Harvard, through the Center of Education Policy Research launched the so-called the Strategic Data Project (SDP) initiative. Various programs are offered under the SDP project, where recently not only higher education institutions can participate in the initiative, but also PreK-12 institutions well. Harvard has taken the lead to promote data-driven decision making process for higher ed, for it has the abundant resources to accomplish such important roles.

The move that the Center has made shown that the era of making strategic decisions based on institutional historical as well as regional, state and national data has arrived, and left BAU as a history. It is truly an exciting development. However, the work has just begun, and much more need to be done. Exciting future opportunities are awaiting to be grasped.

Exciting: 2020 Possible Matchup

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No one knows, if this event will actually happen in reality. However, if it does, then the blue isle will have a huge boost. Even though, the event may occur years away, the results can be predicted today. The 2022 recent midterm election results are the future projection of 2024 big-dance, especially if the red color support this matchup. Strong data on current economics performance, low unemployment rate, and more importantly strong supports from the younger generation voters who have seen how the blue has helped making their life quality better, through, for example, the student loans forgiveness policy, and widely-opened employment opportunities. Therefore, there will be no surprise, if the 2020 matchup results would repeat the 2022 midterm election results. Go, and vote!

Monday Nov 14, 2022: How The Market Will React to Midterm Election Results

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Disclaimer: This BLOG article does not suggest any readers to take any trade positions in the market; nor will it suggest taking trade strategies, or buy-and-sell any particular stocks.

One thing for sure–with the midterm election results were known, not only that it eases some level of uncertainties, but also the effects may have been capitalized last week The market, based on past data, showed that as the uncertainties were pressed down, the DOW will react in green. However, Market may concern more about inflation than the midterm results. In addition to that, there are elephants which may affect the magnitude of market reactions–which may drag the NASDAG in the red zone. Another note, the DOW gained more than 1000 points on one trading day, last week, which usually follows by a red movement. How high (low) will it go green (red) this week, will depend on how the market will think collectively, and the assessment on the equity market–either it is undervalue (overvalued). Will find out soon.