“Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait,” says comedian and writer Alan Whitney Brown. It is no covert that the America is on the way out in education as it has slipped out of the top 25 countries for attains in science, reading, and math. The American system of education is facing inspection on every level of studying as of college, universities or middle schools. In fact, it was hard for the purpose of this paper to limit them to the number allotted. The topics varied from lack of state funding, teacher tenure, student retention, encouraging creativity in the classroom, discipline and the list goes on and on. The topics chosen were of interest to me and I felt quite important. On a national level the topics chosen were paddling as a form of acceptable discipline, teacher tenure and school reform.
Even if every student was diligent and hardworking, there is no completely correct way to distinguish what grade they should receive; it is the ultimately teacher’s judgement. A peer of mine received a 92 as her final grade, which she was upset about. She felt that through all of her hard effort she deserved an A, and pleaded with the teacher to move her grade up one point, which he did. Grades are a combination of numerous factors or personal feelings, making it difficult to determine a grade. “A B in English says nothing about what a student can do, what she understands, where she needs help.” Grading strictly on tests, quizzes, and homework assignments reflects what a student knows instead of how much they have learnt.
Assessments are given out in different amounts or types and can also be weighted differently depending on the teacher. Some teachers may assign homework regularly and place a high weight on it while others may not assign it at all. Retakes on tests and quizzes may be allowed in one class but not in another. Essentially, students in the same school can be taught and tested differently in the same course. Instead of grades, Kohn says: “authentic assessments, narratives, portfolios, student-led parent-teacher conferences, and exhibitions,” could be used effectively to demonstrate a student’s learning throughout the year. The current grading system does not need to be completely abandoned, but modified to incorporate ways that demonstrate what the student has learnt, therefore encouraging them to.
High school is like prison now; the students are locked inside for seven hours a day while the teachers patrol for violations like two-inch dress code infractions instead of who in their course actually comprehends the material. Students need to be treated more like adults than children. I never understood the point in wasting ten minutes standing in line to receive a pass for being thirty seconds late to first period. Also, my courtyard was surrounded on all sides, adding towards the detained impression that nearly everyone felt to some extent. This authoritative control, combined with mindless bookwork, squashes student’s creativity and ability to reach their fullest potential. “Teachers themselves are products of the same twelve-year compulsory school programs that so thoroughly bore their students, and as school personnel they are trapped inside structures even more rigid than those imposed upon the children.” From their point of view, this is how the teachers learnt, so what problem would they see in the way students are taught? Students should be subjected to more hands-on learning, encouraging them to question how to do something and not why.
Changing the systems currently installed for grading and learning would produce more educated students, shifting their attitude towards work from “have to” to “want to.” Granted, this is not a simple task and it will take time before any improvement is made; but the time to begin this process is now. How far will our education have to depreciate before it is considered with genuine concern? Lowering the standards for students is like covering a pothole with a board and calling it fixed; the problem is still there and it will continue to get worse. With today’s rapid changes and technological advances, there is no time to be content with underachievement. The resolution begins here.
