It seems to me that this study should be no surprise to anybody who is scientifically literate. Is the requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that that all children reach “grade level” performance on reading and other academic skills by 2014" due to ignorance, stupidity, or a desire to destroy public education?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222122601.htm
ScienceDaily (Dec. 26, 2008) — Parental education is a strong predictor of socioeconomic status and children’s educational environment. Nevertheless, some children continue to experience reading failure in spite of high parental education and support for learning to read.
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Children whose parents had higher levels of education tended to have stronger genetic influence on their reading disability than children whose parents had lower levels of education. The researchers concluded that on average, poor instruction or lack of reading practice may often be the main influence on reading disabilities in families with low socioeconomic status, while genes may be the main influence on reading disability among children in families with high socioeconomic status and educational support.
This study has important implications not only for future genetic research, but for national education policies as well. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that all children reach “grade level” performance on reading and other academic skills by 2014, and assumes that this goal can be met through appropriate education. However, the authors of this study suggest that a more beneficial policy would acknowledge genetic constraints on meeting these standards among some children with reading disability, and honor the functionally important gains they make in reading and other academic skills even if they do not reach grade level.
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