Archives - Education: Page 6
Author: paul carson (Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:40 am)
Title: A Bad Report Card
The news from American high schools is not good. The most recent test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the national report card, finds that American 12th graders are actually performing worse in reading than 12th graders did in 1992, when a comparable exam was given. In addition, 12th-grade performance in reading has been distressingly flat since 2002, even though the states were supposed to be improving the quality of teaching to comply with the No Child Left Behind education act.
The new scores, based on tests given in 2005, show that only about 35 percent of 12th graders are proficient in reading. Simply put, this means that a majority of the country’s 12th graders have trouble understanding what they read fully enough to make inferences, draw conclusions and see connections between what they read and their own experiences. The math scores were even worse, with only 23 percent of 12th graders performing at or above the proficient level.
Marginal literacy and minimal math skills might have been adequate for the industrial age. But these scores mean that many of today’s high school seniors will be locked out of the information economy, where a college degree is the basic price of admission and the ability to read, write and reason is essential for success.
Congress, which is preparing to reauthorize both the No Child Left Behind Act and the Higher Education Act, needs to take a hard look at these scores and move forcefully to demand far-reaching structural changes.
It should start by getting the board that oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress testing to create rigorous national standards for crucial subjects. It should also require the states to raise the bar for teacher qualifications and end the odious practice of supplying the neediest students with the least qualified teachers. This process would also include requiring teachers' colleges, which get federal aid, to turn out higher quality graduates and to supply many more teachers in vital areas like math and science. If there’s any doubt about why these reforms are needed, all Congress has to do is read the latest national report card.
_________________
grow and be kind
This is indeed a very stressing thing to read about. I am very concerned with the ability of the younger students in our country. Unfortunately, I don't think it will stop with the 12th graders; we may see lower scores across the board. Personally, I feel if parents aren't going to instill a strong foundation for learning and accomplishment in their children, stronger teachers may not solve our problems. While more qualified teachers are extremely important, I place equal importance on what happens at home.
I do believe a great deal of in class results stem from home and your environment. But does this mean on average parents at home are putting less importance on school or is there some other factor effect the at home environment?
I think it could be several factors at once. Definitely the parents are at fault by working more and paying less attention to their children. What other factors do you think affect the in class performance?
Can we really put all the blame on the parents. Today a one single parent income family can bearly survive unless that parent is a successful business owner or has an amazing job. However, for the majority, the blue collar workers, a single family income means your kids end up on the street or in bad neighborhoods. The kids are put in environments that distract them from school. And for those families who do have two parent incomes, the kids are left to take care of themselves and parents have less time to focus on the educational progress of their child.
I completely agree with you that other factors are related to poor performance in school. For a single parent making a small amount of money, it's very difficult to maintain any standard of living, while being involved in your child's schoolwork. There are very different scenarios that can unfold and each one requires diverse responses to fix them. For instance, in a single parent home, things like strict enforcement of attendance policies (by the schools and police) and strong afterschool programs (study halls, rec sports, tutoring, or maybe just a place to hang out) will help keep children in school and out of trouble. The drive to succeed, learn, and make something of yourself must be pushed by your parents though.
In the example of a two parent household, there is no excuse for neglecting your child's schoolwork. The child should be attending school regularly, and if the parents enstill the values of hardwork and achievement in their lives, will hopefully take the experience seriously. I'm sure there are other examples as well. They would most likely require different angles to solve them.
My point is, we should be doing something about these problems now. When a national report card comes out and says our 12th graders are doing worse now than they were 2 years ago, that isn't only poor 12th graders from the Bronx, and it isn't only rich students from Park Ave, it isn't white, it isn't black, and it isn't normal. It is a national statistic showing us that we are all falling off the map. It's definitely time to fix things.
statistics are skewed and are taken from an average of a sample population. And even if this sample is a great representation of what is really happening in the American education system, what are we going to do about it. Everyone says we need to do something about it, so immediately we try to poor more money into the schools. We need to find the source of the problem before we can recommend a solution.
And one solution that I am proposing we focus on is the parent's involvement. If the kids are skipping school, arrest the parents. That is just one way we can ensure the parents will be just as dedicated to their childrens future as they should be. Pouring money into the system will not solve the problem, you are right.
I like your proposal; however, would hope that you are not serious about arresting parents. The only flaw with placing responsibility on the parents is that it would have to be done on a case by case basis. What about the single parent that has to work and doesn't know if their child is in school or can't be there when they get home and can't afford a baby sister or nany. Punishing those parents will do no good and will only serve to put more pressure on them at home and possibly cause reduction in work hours. If they start slacking at the job they make less money and adds even more stress at home and may cause the childs performance at school to decline even further.