Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

slackmaster2k t1_j8okap8 wrote

If you can afford this test, your child has a good chance of going to college. Now, where can we send the bill?

134

Valarbetarn t1_j8qt8ud wrote

We can predict with reasonable accuracy if your child will go to college from your ZIP code, no needles required.

45

cstmoore t1_j8sh893 wrote

Numb3rs S1E11 "Sacrifice" covered this. >!Based on the zip code where a person was born and raised could determine their chances of success. Zip codes fostering those with low chances of success could have their public funds redirected to zip codes containing persons seen as having a greater chance of success.!<

7

Pobbes t1_j8t0qcj wrote

This thinking is kind of the problem though, right?

The richest zip codes have the most success because they have the most resources. So, we should prioritize more resources for them to have even more success. Meanwhile, the places with the least resources are unable to provide children with enough preparation to be highly successful in post-mandatory educational settings, resulting in less success. So, we should provide them with even less resources since they don't have that high success rate?

I'll take how to further entrench heriditary wealth for 500, Ken

5

cstmoore t1_j8t1s0s wrote

Exactly. This was the point they made in the episode. Instead of helping those who need the resources, they would double down on those who needed the resources the least. (If they're great now, then just think how much greater they could be with even more resources!)

7

American_Streamer t1_j9130pj wrote

There is always the law of diminishing marginal utility which puts an end to this. There is no such thing as endlessly increasing success, as eating 100 bars of chocolate doesn't bring you 100x more fun than eating 1 bar.

Also, even the kids with all resources imaginable may turn out failures. There are enough examples of rich kids with severe drug and alcohol problems, as well as mental problems like depression and gambling. You could argue that this doesn't matter, as they will always have been handed lucrative positions. But there also is a limit to these positions, as any company will begin to suffer if too many incompetent and useless people are sucking it dry. Someday, somewhere along the way, even the most pampered kid of the most inherited wealth will have to prove itself and will have to bring adequate performance and will fail at that, if it misses the necessary skills.

In general, the whole Ivy League thing is a big scam. The quality of the education there is detoriating fast, maybe even in the law and economics departments. The Ivy League degree has been reduced only to the "club member card" you need to have to be able to apply for the top positions. It doesn't necessarily give you the skills to be successful in your discipline, anymore. But you still need to have marketable and high quality skills to become successful and compete on the job market. If you are not useful and not able to produce decent results, all those fancy degrees and daddy's influence still won't help you.

2

cstmoore t1_j8t1r05 wrote

Exactly. This was the point they made in the episode. Instead of helping those who need the resources, they would double down on those who needed the resources the least. (If they're great now, then just think how much greater they could be with even more resources!)

1

Valarbetarn t1_j8vq9qn wrote

That kind of thinking is putting the cart before the horse. The upper middle class pays most of the taxes that finance those programs, so you would essentially be giving them their own money back. At that point it makes more sense to simply lower taxes.

In terms of money well spent, giving more money to good students who have good teachers is probably less efficient than using the same funds in poorer neighborhoods. A bad environment can harm the future prospects of students much more easily than a good environment can improve it. In other words: students from well-off neighborhoods are generally already performing at the level that their potential allows, or close enough to it that additional investment in their education likely does not improve outcomes very much.

1

hercdriver4665 t1_j8sazas wrote

My other favorite correlation/causation fallacy: pre-school attendance improves chances of academic success and reduces chances of future criminal activity. Isn’t it amazing that kids do well if you can afford out of pocket pre-school, and also care enough about your child’s future to send them to preschool.

8