Four decades ago, there was a push to get more American students into rigorous courses with harder subjects to make them smarter. However, research has shown that students are performing worse on average despite increased admission into the courses. One reason is because there’s an incentive to give students passing grades. Courses are made less difficult and teachers give better grades to keep graduation rates high, inflating success at the local level at the expense of performance in standardised tests. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
