-> GP>forward that the "first step to solving our nation's education
-> GP>problems is to substantially raise academic standards and verify
-> GP>achievement through rigorous testing."   Augustine also serves as
-> Hmmm, so riqorous testing proves achievement? Or does it prove that
-> students learned to take a test?
Hmm. I don't know. I would think that knowing in advance that one is
going to be tested on certain material (i.e. accountability) might give
students more incentive to learn and retain the material? Schools in the
U.S. that do not have exit exams do have problems with kids learning
material just long enough to pass the current chapter test and then
forgetting it promptly thereafter. While I understand your concern about
"students learning to take a test," I also support high standards and
rigorous evaluation. Maybe you are thinking only of multiple
choice/standardized tests, which do tend to be more the "learning to
take a test" type of things. Then again, maybe the authors of the
article I quoted were thinking of the same things. I personally prefer
some type of free-response questions in which the student must
demonstrate their thinking and justify their response.
-> Business has been great at telling educators where failings are, yet
-> they are slow to help when they could (and in many cases it would be
-> to their advantage). Very few businesses look beyond the bottom line
-> and plan very far into the future-this is why many of them fail or
-> are not as successful as they could be. The greed of CEOs is a great
-> example.
I suppose this is something to keep in mind as well. While it has been
_somewhat_ encouraging to see the recent interest among many segments of
the population in improving education by raising standards, the
manifestations of this concern resulting in boards of governors or
boards of business who are telling educators what we should do hasn't
exactly left a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. What do governors
and business(wo)men know about the day-to-day acrobatics of educating
children in a classroom setting?
Also, I do question the wisdom of assuming that the endproduct of a high
school diploma should be a student who is ready for the business world.
I don't think that is the number one priority of our ed system, while it
certainly is a worthwhile goal.
-> GP>     The report concludes that "the transformation of standards
-> GP>from rhetoric to reality does not occur by decree from above."
-> GP>It holds that parents, educators and students must "adopt, adapt
-> GP>and take ownership of their standards, and they must believe them
-> GP>to be worth striving for."
-> Great, after stating what businesses can do to set standards for
-> educators - it concludes with what should have been the beginning
-> statement, and even then it has a flaw - the standards will not be
-> adopted, adapted, and owned by parents, educators, and students, the
-> standards have to come from them, not from business - most educators
-> I know are quite familiar with what most businesses need in the way
-> of employees.
A good point you make about the order of the report needing to be
reversed. I am a bit curious about your statement that most educators
know what businesses need in the way of employees. Would you elaborate
on that?
-> Business needs to understand that regardless of the education of the
-> incoming employee, constant training, empowering employees in
-> decision-making processes, and building trust are items that need to
-> be developed at all levels of any businesses (including education).
-> Until educators and parents feel that they have a say in what goes
-> on, not much changes.
Well said. If businesses think they are going to get ready-made
employees from the schools that require no maintenance, they are
deluding themselves.
Sheila
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