Learning ability largely forged in DNA, study says

Twin sisters Lisa and Julie York pose for a picture during Twins Days on August 5, 2007 in Twinsburg, Ohio. The annual event is recorded as the largest annual gathering of twins in the world.

While the best teachers, motivated parents and flourishing schools can bolster a child's education, genetics are responsible for half of learning ability, according to a new study.

While the best teachers, motivated parents and flourishing schools can bolster a child's education, genetics are responsible for half of learning ability, according to a new study. Researchers at King's College London studied 1,500 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. In comparing results, the twins' scores were twice as similar among identical twins as among fraternal twins. The data further fuels the genetics side of the nature-versus-nurture debate. What can educational policy take away from study results such as these?

Guests:

Neal P. McCluskey, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute - The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank – dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.

RiShawn Biddle, editor of Dropout Nation - an online outlet dedicated to covering education - and co-author of ‘A Byte at the Apple: Rethinking Education Data for the Post-NCLB Era’.