The Pros And Cons Of American Education

Not all students who are smart and take in all the information test well. For instance, there are many people who simply do not perform well on tests. Many students are smart and understand the content, but it doesn't show on test scores (Gregory J. Cizek, 2001). In essence, testing brings out stress in even the brightest of students, messing with their heads come test day. The facts show that from the 50 states, 700 school districts claim that standardardized tests are causing greater anxiety than the average everyday assessments (Joseph Spector, 2015). In conclusion, student achievement

Levine claims that these children are looking up to gang members and drug dealers as a way of life, knowing that their are no educational requirements to fulfill these positions (20). These poor students are simply seeing school as a must do for the time being, and not seeing the the value of the education they could be receiving if they had a better role model to look up to. Similarly, Graff asserts that students are not connecting with Shakespeare or the French Revolution, these students do not value the information because it does not pertain to them; However, sports, fashion or dating interests these students and have values to them (245). Schools and colleges are not connecting the dots. The values they set into the education system no longer interest students. The students are, however, finding that they can look up to those who did not apply themselves to education, and are getting the wrong concept of

Intrinsic value defines itself to be a set of ethics that is dependent upon an individual’s morals. The intrinsic value of anything is often given a hidden meaning. Alfie Kohn’s essay “How not to get into College”, Heron Jones’s poem “Somnambulist”, and the episode “Rosebud” from the television show, The Simpsons, shows how finding true meaning and motivation in life can be very difficult and also reveals deeper meaning of how it is better to be motivated intrinsically rather than extrinsically.

n “The Failure of American Public Education” (February 01 1993), John Hood explains the sundry perspectives on the American education system. Hood tactfully uses cause and effect to demonstrate the viewpoints of a myriad of individuals regarding American schools and their approaches to effectively educating students; he explains how “free-market thinkers believe that applying market competition to the public schools will solve many of America’s educational problems” (Hood) ; “critics believe that public education reforms fail because they are compromised or sabotaged by the education lobbies—teacher associations, administrators, and the legislators in their pockets” (Hood) and “many conservatives believe that American public education is in

A recent study released by Pearson that questioned over 400,000 students in grades 6-12 shows that only “48% of students think their teachers care about them…and only 45% of students think teachers care if they are absent from school” (Hare, 2015). This shocking statistic demonstrates what American students think about their teachers. Most students are under the impression that their teachers don’t care about them. When teachers don’t care about their students and allow them to fail, many students with unrealized potential give up on education.

Would you be happy if you had received an A in your class? Do you feel that you truly learned enough to deserve that perfect A? Students who are in either high school or college are forgetting the true meaning of having knowledge and being able to learn. People think that how well they perform in the classroom will justify how well the teacher teaches their students but necessary that might not always be that way. In Brent Staples piece, “Why Colleges Shower their Students with A’s”, he argues that there must be an end to the grade Inflation and continues by examining for a possible solution by using language techniques to emphasize the main point. He mentions, “Some departments shower students with A’s to fill poorly attended courses that might otherwise be canceled” (Staples 1065). Staples piece comes across as formal, but also has a purpose of the making both a precise idea and credible point to his readers that they might be effected as well as colleges that the essay refers to. Staple focuses

School districts are held accountable for the task of producing satisfactory test scores. Test scores that are factors in the ranking and funding of schools, and some districts have turned to drastic measures to obtain adequate scores (Bhattacharyya, Junot, and Clark para. 9). Multiple cases have been recorded of educators and administrators manipulating scores by changing the students’ answers or through other means of cheating (Khadaroo para. 6). Although these instances are fairly uncommon, cheating on a district level has happened enough times to indicate that the stakes attached to standardized testing are extremely high. The emphasis on testing from the school district filters all the way down to the instructors. Teachers often receive the most blame for unsatisfactory test scores, and therefore resort to teaching the test (Bhattacharyya, Junot, and Clark para. 31). Even though teaching is not explicitly limited by standardized testing, teachers feel the need to stick to material from the standardized test in order to maximize test scores ("Standardized Testing Has Serious Limitations." para. 13). Therefore, material outside of the test that may be important is neglected. Assessment should be built around the curriculum, not the

In “From Degrading to De-Grading,” Alfie Kohn criticizes current grading systems and their alleged harm to students. Kohn first lists three main problems with grading and then adds seven more. In summary, grading results in students showing little interest in learning, students choosing easier assignments, and less creative students (p. 254-255). The next seven points expose grading as unreliable, distracting, and tedious. Grading also incites cheating and ruins relationships between students and teachers (p. 255-257). Unfortunately, despite knowing nine reasons to rid schools of grading, teachers opt to keep the grading system. “They want to know why you’re making trouble” (p. 257). As an excuse teachers claim students prefer grading and grading

In Carl Singleton’s article, “What Our Education System Needs is More F’s,” he argues that students aren’t receiving the failing grades they deserve. School systems are to blame for the lack of quality in America’s education. No other recommendation for improvement will succeed. The only way to fix the American education system is to fail more students. According to Singleton, the real root of the issue is with the parents. Since the parents believe their children are passing, they don’t take an interest in their child’s studies. They allow the child to spend little time on homework and more time on other activities, such as watching television. When a child comes home with an F, then the parents will take notice. Only then will parents take an active role in their child’s education, instead of letting the schools do it all. The schools are failing the students by giving them passing grades they don’t deserve. Singleton doesn’t believe an increase in salary or a merit raise will improve the situation. The only solution is to fail students who do not master the material. Only then will parents take notice in their children’s education and will school boards take notice, since holding a child back and having them repeat a grade cost twice as much as passing them on to the next grade.

One of the history's greatest figures, Nelson Mandela, once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Over the course of years, this statement has only become more relevant. Maybe that is the reason why the topic of the decline of the American education has been recently spurring such a heated debate among national academic and teaching communities. In “The Chronicle of Higher Education”, Carl Singleton, a faculty member at Fort Hays State University, also presented his reflections concerning the U.S. education system.

Grades are an important part of the school system. Grades set the extraordinary students apart from the ordinary ones. In Jerry Farber’s essay, “A Young Person’s Guide to the Grading System,” he argues that grades are the only motivation students have in school. Farber even calls it “phony motivation.” He argues that students do not actually learn anything. Farber also argues that I disagree with Farber’s viewpoint on the grading system and the effect on students.

A standardized test, according to W. James Popham of ASCD.org, is “any examination that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.” In standardized testing, examinees are instructed to precisely answer a specific set of questions, which are usually multiple-choices. Although standardized testing is believed to be an objective method to grade students, administers should understand that these tests are not only a waste of time, but also a waste of money. Standardized testing is irrelevant to a student’s education because it is an unreliable way to measure a student’s knowledge, causes stress, and hinders a student’s overall learning potential.

There is a third reason which is the Most important reason, is to get a great picture of the cultural diversity of the United States of America. Knowledge of others, their cultures, their sciences and way of life, is useful for learning about a new culture. Some cultures have good qualities and bad recipes, or perhaps do not fit the nature of our lives. For example, my presence in America has made me learn a lot of American cultures that if I find them in my country and may be useful to me or in raising my children such as opening the door to the person walks behind me, honestly I like this behavior which I miss this in my country. In general, the idea of quoting the culture that suits our societies may help us to develop from the reality of our lives. so, getting a job like a teacher in American schools, it increases my culture and quotes a lot of approaches that may be helpful to me in developing education in my

Education is a huge issue that not only affects kids and their parents, but their community as well. Schools teach young kids to become the next generation of engineers, technicians, and political leaders, working towards creating a better future for their country and their community. Teachers have the unique job of creating the future leaders of the world, and preparing them for both college and life beyond, by putting a special push towards math and science, the so-called “foundation” of our society. The hard truth is, no one can be anything they want to be. Some people are simply not cut out to be engineers, doctors, or psychologists. Modern day schooling forces students to fit a mold only a select few can fill by creating too much structure and having an overbearing emphasis on math and science, when other, less structured extracurricular activities can promote respect, discipline, and teamwork.

WHAT IS IT? School-based management (SBM) is a strategy to improve education. By transferring significant decision-making authority from education offices to individual schools. SBM provides principals, teachers, students, and parents control over the education process by giving them responsibility for decisions about the planning, personnel, curriculum and action in school. Through the involvement of school community members in these key decisions, SBM can create more effective learning environments for students.