The statistical evidence is that the best predictor of the performance of a community's schools, the best predictor of math scores and science scores, for example, is the social capital in that community... And by that I simply mean the number of people who know one another's first name, the number of people who take part in community organizations, the level of trust and reciprocity in the community.

Robert Putnam, author of the book "Bowling Alone"

-Alfie Kohn

Concepts like intrinsic motivation and intellectual exploration are hard for the prosaic mind to grasp, whereas test scores, like sales figures or votes, can be calculated and charged and used to define success and failure.

Source:

Alfie Kohn

Position:

The Schools Our Children Deserve (1999)

Keywords:

mentorship

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-Alfie Kohn