Working with NCLB
I'm only a Jr. at ECU majoring in History Education and I understand that there are many problems with No Child Left Behind. But I also realize that it is a fact that when I do become a teacher it will have an effect on the way that I teach. However, as evil as NCLB is I do believe that the schools and teachers would be held more accountable is not necessarily a bad idea. This is because there truly are teachers who do not teach in classes. I had one such math teacher in high-school who gave us a worksheet with instructions on how to solve the math problems rather than teach us so that she could work on her homework for her master level classes. Yes I do believe teachers should be held accountable, but it should not be based on the scores of one standardized test. The teacher should be accountable first to their department chair then to the school administration. It should be the department chair's and the school administration's responsibility to hold teachers accountable. Likewise for schools in a school district. After talking with friends who are teaching, fellow students and a friend in the Marine Corps, I have decided that although currently a blight NCLB could possibly be made into something good. First of all the test scores on standardized tests should NOT I REPEAT NOTdetermine school funding. However, I do realize that standardized tests will not go away so let's work with them. Make the tests into basic comprehension tests. What I mean by this is that at different grade levels such as 5th, 8th and 12th grade this test is given to make sure students can perform basic skills needed for life. Also students can not pass the grade the test in administered in without passing the test and can not drop out of high-school without passing the test once the child is old enough to do so. These skills should include basic math concepts, reading comprehension, basic science concepts, basic social studies as well as critical thinking. All of these I think at least are basic skills that everyone needs to survive in life. I know that this seems like teaching towards producing future workers but with all the corporate influences in education I really can not think of a solution to that. I definitely do not agree with NCLB but I realize that ultimately I can not do anything to change it by myself. It is a simple fact like what Coach Thomas (my football coach and history teacher) said, it is all about the golden rule, who ever has the gold rules. The corporations are going to have the money to place it in the correct pockets to keep the educational system producing workers. Also by maybe working to revise the NCLB as well as revoke it, that may prove to be more successful. One of my buddies in the Marines told me that a two prong attack is often more successful than a full frontal assault. What do you all think?
- Eric Kaufman's blog
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Standardized Test; how will you prepare your students?
Its great to see the comments made a while back from Mr. Henry about NCLB. We discussed this blog in our group and feeling that a change will come is a comfort, however the question he posed to us is a thought provoking one….
“The larger question is to what extent should we allow standardized tests to dominate the agenda of public schools. That is an issue which transcends NCLB and will likely continue to plague education for a long time indeed.” Mr. Henry
How will we handle this?…So many like standardized testing, I don’t because I have always had trouble doing them! I pose the question to those that do feel comfortable with this type of testing. How will you prepare your students for tests if they have are not “standardized test takers”?
Unfortunately
We live in a system built by overpowering others, don't we? While NCLB may be shortlived, surely some other Orwellian named program will be enacted, all to the benefit of the powers in their pinstripes and dark rooms, smoking cigars?
Yet, to counter my illustrious Pirate compatriot, do we have no ability to do anything ourselves? I would say we do have power, with our dollars and with our votes. But we have to act in concert and we have to use reason, not emotion, and we finally have to act with determination. Too often we as Americans today are willing to allow decisions to be made for us, for those with the gold to tell us how it is going to go. Well, those guys with the gold get it from someone: us. We have the ability to be socially conscious, our need to make a better world is evident in every great movement throughout human history.
But we must be WILLING. We must sacrifice. We have to be able to say, "it is more important for me to be moral than comfortable." I must follow my convictions, wherever they lead me, even if they lead me to pain or hardship. If we all embrace this way of thinking, we may be shocked at how much we can accomplish.
"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is vitally important that you do it." - Mahatma Ghandi
NCLB ain't going to be around much longer
So, I would not worry too much about it.
Are there bad teachers out there? Sure
Is comparing test scores earned under different teachers going to somehow solve that? No.
Is ruining the whole of American public education worth trying to find the @ 10% of incompetent teachers? Not in my opinion.
The larger question is to what extent should we allow standardized tests to dominate the agenda of public schools. That is an issue which transcends NCLB and will likely continue to plague education for a long time indeed.
To repeat: there is no research evidence to suggest that more and more testing actually produces better outcomes for students. None. Zippo.
And there is considerable evidence that reliance on a single measure of performance to make high stakes decisions about student abilities is a terrible education strategy with rampant corruption, frequent errors and given to negative outcomes across the board--students, teachers and parents.
Teaching is about human beings and collaboration. Trying to get the best out of another person is not about threats or overpowering them through intimidation or fear. Until we fundamentally understand that, we will never create a system that is as effective as it could be.