Academics starts in the home

Missouri education officials and local school leaders are scrambling to dissect and explain recently released MAP test results.

The test scores are serving as a wake-up call for many districts that report far too many students underperforming in virtually all areas.

The statewide test results have rekindled the growing clamor against the federally designed Common Core components.

But regardless of the test origin, the annual scorecard of student achievement does give teachers, parents and students a measure of comparison with other Missouri students.

It's that comparison that has many wondering about the state of education across the country.

The finger-pointing began immediately upon the release of the test scores.

Parents and students should be highly concerned over history revisionist curriculum. Teacher evaluations should be examined on the heels of the test results. And all school districts should focus on top-heavy bureaucracies within the local schools.

But when the smoke clears and the finger pointing is complete, it's important for school districts to take an honest step back and examine the reason for the lack of student achievement.

These concerns and issues aside, the most important element to student success in education is a supportive and engaging home environment to provide the essential encouragement and assistance to the student.

All other ingredients in the education process pale in comparison to the household structure of the student.

Absent that structured home environment, the challenges for educators are daunting at best.

As a society, we linger far too much on the fringe issues and fail to address what student support is lacking that society can address.

In far too many instances, schools don't leave students behind. Parents abandon their unique responsibility.

It's out of fashion these days to discuss discipline and consequences. Yet, without these two elements -- both essential in a functioning society -- the best efforts of our schools will continue to come up short.

Every school district in the state has been making comparisons with their peer group to analyze strengths and weaknesses.

And although those comparisons are important, schools and parents, especially, must fully examine the student body makeup of each individual school before the finger pointing begins. Affluent school districts with an engaged parent base will always excel by comparison. Schools with a higher percentage of students in poverty often fall short.

Blaming schools is simply low-hanging fruit.

The societal challenge is to address the foundational issues of these results.

Less than ideal test results should prompt parental involvement and school evaluation. But it's critical that we target the real problem and not the side issues.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.