Comment on Asbury and Wai (2019), "Viewing Education Policy through a Genetic Lens, " Journal of School Choice. Issue 3 (2nd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Byrne, Brian; Little, Callie W.; Olson, Richard K.; Larsen, Sally A.; Coventry, William L.; Weymouth, Rachel
• Is Part Of: Journal of school choice. Volume 14:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 501
• Page End: 515
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02
• Subjects: Genetics -- reading disability -- funding distribution -- quantitative methods; School choice -- United States -- Periodicals; School choice; United States; Periodicals; 370
• DOI: 10.1080/15582159.2020.1779577
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1558-2159

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Asbury and Wai ( Journal of School Choice, 2019) perform a valuable service by summarizing much available behavior–genetic research on academic achievement. However they consider that no specific policies stem from the research body at this time. Here we do propose a policy based on some of our research using twins, namely that available funding for students struggling with learning to read be targeted to them individually rather than allocated to schools per se. We briefly canvass some practical issues, such as the variety of funding mechanisms, best-practice intervention techniques, and identification of struggling readers. We also outline a general research strategy for uncovering factors contributing to educational attainment that takes behavior-genetic research as its starting point and drills down from there, and advocate including genetically-sensitive methods in a growing list of quantitative research techniques in education.