Comments |
08/20/2010
Cassie
Buckingham Charter Magnet High School, Vacaville, California
No child shoud be left behind. its that simple. With that, it is necessary to go to whatever measures to ensure the health and safety of children today. They are the future of our nation, and if they are in need of help, then help is what they should get.
|
06/01/2010
Joji
Nimitz High School, Irving/TX
The new NCLB act under the Obama administration would be better for students as it prepares them for college as opposed to its predecessor that only prepares the students for a simple standardized test. If the student were to only know the material being given on the test then they would most probably not succeed in college. The new bill will also reward for the schools successes, which is good, but the firing of teachers because of a schools poor performance would not be fair to the teachers. Some students only go to school because they are mandated to by the government. These students don't care about their grades or going to college they see school as a hangout spot from 8:00 to 4:00. And the teachers will be punished for the lazy mentality of the students, regardless on how hard they try to teach. Another thing would be the involvement of the school board or district administrators. The administrators could help or they could be one of the causes for the school to go downhill. For example if the administration were to change the amount of money being given to the school. If given more, the school could hire more teachers to teach, but if given less more courses and extra curricular would be cut, and because of their decisions the teachers would have to pay in the end causing them to lose their jobs. So the proposed act would be good for schools but if the schools were not given support by administration and students the teachers and principles would perish.
|
05/31/2010
Nabila
Nimitz High School, Irving,TX
President Obama's proposed reform of NCLB will improve the American education system in that it aims more towards college preparation and/or a career than towards rote memorization of standardized test material. This preparation for the future has always been lacking in schools, causing many high school seniors to learn too late of the options available to them through various scholarships, the FAFSA, the SAT and ACT, and career preparatory classes. In addition to this preparation, more flexibility and less pressure will allow teachers to educate better and work towards overall student improvement rather than annual student progress. Neither President Bush nor President Obama has the appropriate approach in reprimanding educators. I understand there are many teachers out there who don't care much of their professions, but that doesn't and shouldn't speak for all of them; students may be to blame as well. Teachers and principals should be given a certain amount of time, say four years, along with the necessary tools for improvement. Only after misuse of such conditions should they be fired and schools be start from scratch. I believe President Obama is taking a step in the right direction towards bettering America's school system and soon enough all students will be equipped with the tools necessary for their respective futures.
|
05/31/2010
duc c
nimitz, tx
In a recent article (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/28/eveningnews/main6528227.shtml), it is stated that high school dropouts are costing the economy millions in lost output. Nuts! Let me tell you what: the school system today are a joke. Instead of raising the bar on education, we are lowering it to please the lowest common denominator. This is devolutionary -- how can our technology and human progress grow if we continue to step in the opposite direction? Over in China and India, they face such an extreme overcrowding condition that they are forced to compete for their education. And as a result, they are growing by leaps and bounds above us every day. Because the American standard of living is rated so high, we forget that we must work hard to achieve prosperity, and this is most evident amongst the general population of high school students. It is not that they were offered inadequate education, it is because they opt to not utilize it because they have a choice not to. To fix this problem, we must restructure the school system, yet at the same time, we must take a initiate at home to promote good parenting which, in my opinion, supplements a good education. Once this economy hits rock bottom, these kids will finally realize how good they had it.
|
05/27/2010
Ana I.
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
Reforms alone cannot change the way schools perform. Educating students is up to the teachers, but the proposed reforms, I believe, make it easier for teachers to focus on students actually learning rather than than just memorizing subjects that will be on standardized tests. Because this reform is focused more on preparing students for college and higher level thinking rather than just benchmarks, students can be encouraged to keep reaching for higher heights instead of just becoming complacent with earning an acceptable grade on a standardized test. The old NCLB didn't do a good job in changing our educational system for the better because it took away funding from schools who didn't meet levels deemed appropriate. This measure of “success” makes it impossible for schools to try and improve themselves because they do not have monetary incentives that they may be able to use to buy better textbooks or invest in technology to better educate their students.
|
05/27/2010
Ernesto
Nimitz High School, Irving/Tx
With the old version of NCLB,many schools focused on mediocre tests instead of challenging the students. On top of that, it punished the schools that didnt meet the requirements. I believe that the new version of the NCLB will be more helpful than the old one. It gives teachers the opportunity to teach material thats challenging and vigorous without having to worry about their check being reduced.
|
05/27/2010
Casey
Nimitz High School, Irving,TX
I believe that President Obama's plan is more improved and benefits the students in that they get to actually learn than just be taught. This still does not fix the teacher situation because if a teacher fails, is it the sole responsibility of that teacher and no other factors are to blame. In this case I believe we would need to look at the whole situation of the school and see what the real problem is. As cognizant humans I believe we all have a great potential and desire to understand and learn, why some do not feel to engage or accept this is beyond the power of the teacher.
|
05/26/2010
Edgar I
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
As President Bush passed his version of the NCLB, many school's curriculum began to direct itself towards a narrow-minded, standardized. “test” teaching curriculum. All that was to be taught was subjects and concepts that would appear on the tests that had to be passed by the students, according to the government. With the new adjustments by President Obama to the NCLB reform law, schools will have more flexibility in their curriculum which will allow students to learn more than just the “standardized” topics. This will also allow the students to expand their learning spectrum to even greater standards. Punishment and rewards may go hand in hand, but there is no right way to punish teachers if they are putting all their effort into teaching and the student could care less about learning.
|
05/26/2010
Telma
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
President Obama's redone version of NCLB is an improvement to the previous radical and inflexible measures. This new plan does not shut schools don when they don't meet yearly standards-and that alone helps the country's public education. President Bush's version of the law simply did not have the correct approach in coming down hard on teachers who aren't doing a good enough job. It would be irrational to fix the education problem by closing schools down. More flexibility and less pressure allow our teachers to educate us better because there will be less emphass on annual improvement goals that limit teachers to a narrow test-based curriculum. Because the goal is to prepare students for life, Obama's NCLB's emphasizes the need for preparation for college and career curriculums.
|
05/25/2010
Rosaura V
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
President Obama's redone version of NCLB is a better approach on improving education in the country, because it will not only put less emphasis on annual improvement goals but it will take a broader look at progress by taking a look at overall student improvement. Some progress is better than no progress. It depicts an attempt to improve education and shows an increase in standards within the schools. Not all the schools have the same resources, so it's more difficult for some to immediately come out with result; therefore, it's better to recognize the progress that has been accomplished. Thus, this new plan allows more flexibility and less pressure on teachers allowing them to actually teach instead of having them just drill the material that appears on standardized tests to their students. President Bush's version of the law that emphasized most of the pressure on the teachers, making sure they followed and met strict guidelines, if not their job was on the line. The old version only made teachers less passionate about teaching and students less interested. Obama's plan in the other hand may not be perfect but it is a step into the right direction.
|
05/25/2010
Milton C.
Nimitz High School, Irving,Texas
I don't think Obama's version of NCLB is going to help the country in a drastic way. The reason I think this is because the NCLB program was signed in because of schools slacking on tests. Then if you lower the standards you are going to leave room for slacking again. But who knows maybe it will help some schools. But I also think that a single test is not accurate enough to show how much does a student know. I have seen the scenario where some of my friends are smart enough to pass TAKS test, but for some reason they end up failing. And I hope that more flexibility will help the majority of the schools in this country to ADVANCE in their education instead of just learning the “minimum”. I mean why do people have the mentality to teach students on things they “should know” and instead “all the things a student can learn”. Maybe a student is not good in math but they might be excellent in science. I think the most effective way to change this problem is not to test the kids more, but instead change the whole educational system itself. In conclusion I don't think Obama's NCLB program is going to solve America's educational problems but it is going to do some positive things.
|
05/25/2010
Genesis
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
No teacher, student, or administrator alike would willingly praise our current system under No Child Left Behind. Months of preparation for a few tests become just that: preparing for a test with no great strides in actual learning. Even though Obama's new revised version of NCLB still includes testing of some sort, it allows for "more prescriptive about what kids learn," rather than yearly quotas and progressive measures. Furthermore, the pressure on teachers that Bush's version had doesn't work. Yes, there needs to be a certain standard of teaching that all teachers must meet, but not at the sake of forcing down testing material down students' throats instead of actually teaching a real class subject. Obama's revisions are also more college-oriented, something that is seriously lacking in our school. Some teachers and students are so busy with TAKS that they never inform the students or are informed about SATs and other college preparatory tests. College is the right step in a positive direction, and even if some students aren't cut out for college, then they are at least informed about the options that they have, and can prepare for a life after high school, not a life after TAKS is over with. While Obama's plan isn't flawless, it is much better than what Bush's administration had, and it is what our broken education system needs.
|
05/24/2010
Silvana T
Nimitz HS, Irving/Tx
Standardized tests have their uses. They serve as qualifiers used to help figure out how much federal funding a school deserves, and help determine if progress has occurred, in regard to consecutive test scores. These tests have garnered mix reviews. Some claim that they highlight learning gaps between different groups, and therefore, are positive improvements to the education system. However; others believe that they “make too many demands on schools without giving them enough money to live up to them,” and heft unnecessarily harsh penalties on educators who fail to reach education goals in a timely fashion. I myself have seen the darker side of standardized testing, an unfortunate witness to the yearly standardized test lockdown. This darker side is characterized by the simplification and narrowing of school curriculum to satisfy purely the demands of the test, converting a once proactive learning institution into a mere “testing mill.” I believe that Obama’s revision of NCLB, with its appreciation of the broader definition of progress, is an improvement. Educators didn’t need the stress of harsh penalties hovering over them all the time; they have enough to worry about as it is. Without the fear of repercussions, I believe teachers would focus more on teaching worthy material to their students, than drilling them on worthless test content. I support Obama’s almost laissez faire approach to education, in my opinion giving the state more flexibility is a good move.
|
05/24/2010
Karina
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Standardized testing, like TAKS tests do not cover all the information that students should be learning. Like the article mentions, some teachers or even schools would only focus on covering material that will most likely appear on exams like TAKS, cheating out students educationally. By focusing on TAKS tests most of the second semester, like some teachers do in my school, limits information that can be suitable for learning rather than going over information students should already know. TAKS test are used to measure the amount of federal money a school receives by doing so, of course the principal would be extremely worried about the money, thus wanting higher scores that leads to more time spent "reviewing" for the TAKS test. I personally think that TAKS test are a complete waste of time, they do not measure accurately knowledge that a student has rather it focuses on logical things. I believe that a change to the present law presented by Bush would greatly be satisfactory. Standardized test like the TAKS fail to bring challenge to the students that take them. If a school fails to achieve expected scores, there is something wrong with that school. Teachers, on the other hand, should not take all the blame for low scores. Teachers should not be blamed for low scores if their students lack the motivation and determination of passing or doing good at school, obviously they do not care. In other cases, the teachers are the ones that don't care about their students, in cases like these there is not much that can be done; except fire them. At the end, some other kind of examination and requisites for federal money should be introduced and implemented.
|
05/23/2010
Duoc
Nimitz, Irving/TX
I think that standardized tests do not help prepare for college. It is just there to show how teachers are teaching. A teacher could a great teacher, but it is up to the students to put the effort into their work. There are many students that could careless about doing any work and just go to school because they have to. I don't think the teacher should be punished for what their students decide not to do. When you have a majority of the school not putting any efforts, of course that will bring the average test scores of the whole school down to a low level. In most schools, the students who actually care about doing good in school is drastically out-numbered by those who don't care, so the average score in the standardized tests would be on the low end.
|
05/23/2010
Ana A
Nimitz High School, Irving/Texas
I believe that Obama's version of NCLB focuses almost on the same areas except that it has less harsh punishments. The standardized tests that we as students are require to take such as TAKS, I think are very basic exams, as many of the students have mentioned before when TAKS time is arriving teachers stop teaching other materials that they should be teaching and instead they begin with TAKS preparation, they give a lot of packets to their students so they can be prepared for the test, mainly teachers only focus on what is going to be on the exams and forget about the rest. I agree that students should be tested on their progress, I don't think is fair for those students that take challenging courses to take such basic test(TAKS), not because they are incapable of passing them, but they should be preparing for their future in college. It is true that there are some students that are not capable of passing these standardized test, so in my opinion TAKS should not be a requirement, there are other better ways to show how students are performing. Teachers and principals should not be the only ones blamed for how students perform in time, students should also be blamed for it. While some students are responsible for their grades and education, there are many other students that don't even try to do better at school. Students should be responsible for their education, so if they don't want to received a good education they should get punish too. If students, teachers, and principals work as a group to improve their education it is very likely that they will see improvement, but if they don't see any improvement, then they all should be blamed the same. It is not fair for those teachers that work hard with their students to help them pass every test to get punish because some of their students didn't do their work like they were suppose to, and it also unfair for those students that work hard to pass and their teachers just don't care. Teachers in my opinion do need more flexibility, as well as students.
|
05/23/2010
Francisco
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
I think president Obama will change the NCLB I think I might be way different then what George bush 2001 NCLB reform. Of course if they are more flexible on us we will perform better but of course flexible to an extend. George Bush had its good ways and its wrong ways like if the school did not perform to the standers that the government told them too then they should give them some kind of warning or notice if they don't bring up the score then the consequences will be done to them. The NCLB is a good law and hopefully president Obama will make a right choice and satisfy the people and not make it as harsh.
|
05/23/2010
Minh
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
I think Obama’s Plan helps our Country’s Schools much more than bush’s plan. The ultimate goal of schools is to secure a job for the students, and college admission rates and higher career proficiency are much better aspects to be focused on, aspects that are the pillars of great places of learning. I do think more flexibility and less pressure will allow teachers to educate students better: however, we shouldn’t go overboard with the whole creativity and personal-development-mold ideas. Most of the times, it’s laziness, procrastination, and poor priority-setting that hinders students and gives them some poor excuse to say that they do things at a different pace or are unable to learn. We should continue to raise the bar and strive to making Ivy Leagues overcrowded (not negatively, but you get the idea), while giving teachers the tools and motivation they need to keep their passions, and their students’ passions, alive and well to the spirit of teaching and education. The version of this law by bush did not have a correct approach, kind of like what happened in Iraq. To equip teachers with the motivation and tools needed to craft the right path of education to careers and college is what our nation’s schools need right now. And we will continue to raise the bar, because that is only how better progress is made.
|
05/23/2010
Chris R.
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
Standardized tests. Almost every school has them, and mine is no different. You can always tell when TAKS time arrives at Nimitz, as the teachers, AP, Pre AP, and regulars alike scramble to ensure that their students are able to pass the tests with flying colors. Everything is put on hold, from college prep to teaching AP material. While, under NCLB, the lovely TAKS tests are a ticket out of high school, but not a ticket into college. In fact, one could say that they detract from one of the major tickets into college: the SAT/ACT tests. I admit, not everyone is cut out for college, but those who are should not be left to fend for themselves. The blame doesn't lie entirely with teachers, either. Without funding, teachers are helpless. They are forced to prepare for tests to keep their federal funding intact. When the time is taken to revise NCLB, more focus needs to be placed on college-prep tests, which, while still standardized, teach even the non-collegebound time management skills. And if they aren't bound for college, give them a different score goal, so they still have a place to aim for, causing them to take the test seriously. By doing so, they are better prepared for the world in which college degrees are most important.
|
05/21/2010
Jocelyn
Nimitz, Irving/Texas
Oh my, TAKS to me is really pointless and just a waste of time. It's a waste of time, because its not going over subjects that I'm currently learning. It's going over subjects that I had already learned. So I found it pointless of taking a test that would just test me over subjects that I knew already. I honestly think that Obama's new version of NCLB will help this country in many ways. For example, it will prepare students for what is actually important, college. Rather than just taking a test over subjects that we know and wasting time in class going over what we already learned. I would rather learn subjects that would help me in college. In either way teachers should prepare themselves to teach with pressure or no pressure. Teachers, well at least I believe, had always had a hard time with TAKS test, because if a large portion of their students would fail the TAKS test it would make the teacher look bad. So what would be the difference with Obama's new test? They would still freak out just as they freak out when its TAKS time. I do not think there would be no difference it's just like taking a TAKS test the only difference is that the new test would be more reasonable to take.
|
05/20/2010
Thomas
Nimitz HS, Irving, Tx
Standardized testing is a hard topic to talk about especially for students because they aren't exactly an unbiased party. I despise the test as much as the next student but there is no other way that anyone can think of to see how the students have grown. But I can say that high school should be a preperation for college which the current tests seem to undermine, and as for the teachers there does come a point when the teachers should not be blamed for their students failure. Now if most of the class is failing then yes there is something that the teacher is doing wrong, but students should still take responsibility for their grades.
|
05/19/2010
Edgar N.
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Standardized testing is a ticket out of high school but not a ticket into college. In our ever-growing nation, a college degree has become extremely important; it is very difficult to get a job without one these days. The original NCLB focused way too much attention on standardized testing and imposed heavy penalties on those schools who couldn't meet these standards with the inadquate support given to them. Sure, not everyone is college material, but the current NCLB leaves those who are college-bound to fend for themselves. And this is not completely the fault of educators. Educators and schools are hopeless without federal funding, and the federal government demands that much attention be paid to standardized tests. Around the time of TAKS (the standardized test in Texas), teachers who teach the subjects tested over on the TAKS, for the most part, drop whatever they had planned and drill TAKS as much as possible. It's gotten tot he point where some schools have become "testing mills," and they focus only on what is expected to be on the TAKS test. The SAT and ACT give you 25 minutes to write and essay, while a student can take their sweet time writing an essay on the TAKS test as it is untimed. I guess that explains why SAT scores in Texas rank near the bottom of the national average. With a chance to revise the current NCLB, more attention should be focused on college-prep exams. Hey, even if not everyone is college bound, college-prep exams teach time management and the basics needed to perform well in a world where a college degree has become of the utmost importance.
|
05/19/2010
Amanda
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
Honestly, I believe that TAKS is a complete joke. Not because I can't pass (I can), but because of the level they are set at. In my opinion, we should not be studying for a basic level test, we should be preparing for college. That is why I take upper level classes. It is a challenge and I am not being babied by the teachers to finish my work. I think that the teachers and principals are not always the problem. In most cases, especially in high school, it is the student that does not care or even want to try and improve. I think that Obama's version is the same just with out the punishment of taking money away. There is still a harsh punishment, and its the school that is suffering, not the students. I think that the students should get punishments as well. For teachers if over half of their students fail then yes, its the teacher but if it is just a few, it is not just the teachers fault. I think that if the teachers are in fear of losing their jobs, it does not help them, I think they do need more flexibility. To sum up my opinion, it should not be the teachers suffering because students failed. The students should be punished too, maybe that will give them more of an incentive to do better instead of slacking off.
|
05/18/2010
Carina C pd 2 - frank
Northeast High School, Philadelphia/ PA
Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law took effect in 2002, it has had a sweeping impact on U.S. public school classrooms. It affects what students are taught, the tests they take, the training of their teachers and the way money is spent on education. Debate rages over whether the law is an effective way to improve academic achievement. Congress was scheduled to decide whether to renew it in 2007. But efforts stalled amid criticism of the law from both Democrats and Republicans, and arguments over how to change it.As stricter testing requirements and penalties have taken effect, several states have rebelled, challenging the law in legislatures and the courts. In response, the U.S. Department of Education has given greater latitude to some districts and states in satisfying the law's provisions. That, in turn, has drawn criticism that the federal government has gone too far and weakened the law so much that it can't achieve its goals. I dont agree on this whole situation because many children are going through enough and the last thing they need is more pressure. its insane. something needs to be done.
|
05/17/2010
Vita A.
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
You know TAKS is around the corner immediately when all history, math, science, and English teachers drop what there teaching and start hammering down TAKS practice packet to students. Everything else becomes unimportant until the TAKS test are over. There always seems to be an urgent emphasize on TAKS, and while it might determine the level at which the students are at it certainly doesn’t determine the level of teaching teachers dedicated throughout the years. Truth be told TAKS only affects students while they’re in elementary, middle, and high school, once we enter the real world TAKS becomes unimportant. The time spent on tutoring and preparing students for these standardized test should be dedicated to SATS and ACTS which impact students past high school years. While I wish these test could be taken out, there has to be a test that will determine how well students are doing, however, it should be one that is fair for the teachers as well. Obama’s plan seems stringent but it might be the key to furthering our education as well as becoming a country that doesn’t lag in math and science education.
|
05/13/2010
Joseph B
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
Hola Mr. Frank. I never agreed with no child left behind. I feel that it places too much pressure on kids to do well on tests. Many kids aren't good test takers and excel in other areas such as projects and presentations. I believe in order to be fair to all students, there should be an option of how you would like to be "tested". This would allow for more accurate results and less stress among students.
|
05/13/2010
Mckelle B. PD7 Frank
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
Standardized tests...I remember asking about this type of thing. The first time i came across it, they made it all the hype, saying it was WAY important and would determine our future or something. I do not recall getting a straight forward answer when I asked why it was so important, i got this whole derivative lecture that ended up not having anything to do with the question; something about how it would affect our future, rather than why it was important. I thought it was for the AYP, so i left it at that. Either way, it doesn't seem like the standardized testing will be held as high as it used to be, and i guess that will reduce the stress level upon taking it. (Because there's nothing better than reminding a person how important a test is right before they take it, especially if it will decide their future.)
|
05/12/2010
Andreas D. prd 7 frank
Northeast high school , philadelhpia PA
Actually, this is pretty funny that I'am reading this. The reason why is because during my eigth grade year they announced they were giving all the schools an end of the year test. Which really meant if you failed you went to summer school and if you passes you graduated. With my luck I failed, even with honors I had to attend summer school but, got my family to fight it wich was successful. I honestly believe standardize test scores aren't accurate. I really believe President Obama is goin in the right direction in fixing the NCLB and providing public school with a better education and providing us with the top teachers.
|
05/12/2010
Andreas D. prd 7 frank
Northeast high school , philadelhpia PA
Actually, this is pretty funny that I'am reading this. The reason why is because during my eigth grade year they announced they were giving all the schools an end of the year test. Which really meant if you failed you went to summer school and if you passes you graduated. With my luck I failed, even with honors I had to attend summer school but, got my family to fight it wich was successful. I honestly believe standardize test scores aren't accurate. I really believe President Obama is goin in the right direction in fixing the NCLB and providing public school with a better education and providing us with the top teachers.
|
05/12/2010
Andreas D. prd 7 frank
Northeast high school , philadelhpia PA
Actually, this is pretty funny that I'am reading this. The reason why is because during my eigth grade year they announced they were giving all the schools an end of the year test. Which really meant if you failed you went to summer school and if you passes you graduated. With my luck I failed, even with honors I had to attend summer school but, got my family to fight it wich was successful. I honestly believe standardize test scores aren't accurate. I really believe President Obama is goin in the right direction in fixing the NCLB and providing public school with a better education and providing us with the top teachers.
|
05/11/2010
Leigh Anne
Warren Hills Regional High School, New Jersey
Standardized testing does not assist in accurate scoring of student work. Enthusiasm and hard work are not measured in them, while intelligence and knowledge of basic concepts is everything, and if you are not a good test-taker, heaven help you! While they can be used as part of the assessment, as the entire thing it is inappropriate. Obama's new plan seems much more realistic in making student evaluation fairer and more realistic.
|
05/11/2010
Doug
Warren Hills Regional High School, Dirty Jerzey
From what I can tell Obama's revision of No Child left behind is a step in the right direction with a good attitude. NCLB had great intention, but poor implementation. it is widely excepted that this law put a lot of pressure on schools, teachers, and states. I am glad to see that President Obama's new policy will focus less on who runs the school and how and will give more freedom to succeed at what they do. Providing national standards on education is an important step toward making the U.S. competitive educationally, but the states should retain the rights to carry it out and run local schools without national regulation. NCLB is too restrictive because of the budgeting and fiscal punishment of underachieving schools.
Also, students cannot be made to succeed. People succeed in all different levels and I do not believe that America should promote equality of results, even in education. Some people go on to Ivy League schools while others may want to drop out. You should have the freedom to choose what you do about it. Teachers cannot be responsible for students that will not try and the phrase "you get out of it what you put into it" should be an educational philosophy. At least if I were president it would be.
|
05/10/2010
Judy
Northeast High School, Philadelphia P.A.
I really like Obama new version of the No child left behind act. It is more understanble and resonable. This new reform act will help out the student and the teacher instead of punishing them for not passing a standerized test. The new version give give mpre time to prepare for the test instead of rushing it and I think that is so much better. I know that when it time to start test they give us stdents and teachers a month or two to perpare and that is not enough time. We are just being cramed with work that is not apart of the curriculm and it fustrate us and the teacher. Obama new reform act will help improve the schoools that are failing and provide additionaL help and money instead fire every staff in the school. Its reform will help alot.
|
05/07/2010
Ashley R. Period5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, Pa
I honestly don't think schools performace is accuractely checked with these tests. I think it is a waste of time because teachers get pressured to focas on them way to much. I think this time freaking out over these tests could be used more wisely. Being a student, and talking to peers, i dont feel like kids really try their hardest. I think that if students took these standardized tests more seriously, it would work. Unfourtantely, I don't think students show their full potential. Maybe if school's did the test in a different way, making it seem more important and saying it would affect the child alot more then a child realizes, then kids would take the test more seriously and they would have more accurate results.
|
05/03/2010
Otavio
NEHS FRANK pd 5, philadelphia, pa
I believe standarized testing should still be used no matter what the circumstances are. Although many students hate or strongly dislike such tests, i believe that they show how the school has been teaching in its core subjects. However i do not agree the extent and leghth of these tests, which could go on for hours and hours. student should be tested in smalled portion tests, that do not require the student to sit through hours just for one test. i believe this would improve the scores and show what the students really have learned. Instead of lengthy tests that the students attention spand vanish after the first section.
|
04/26/2010
Dijon S.
NorthEast High, Phila. Penn.
I feel that the no child left behind act or 2001 is a great law and is positive for the united states. It is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. And at the same they shouldn't pressure us as students to give us more and more difficult work that we could't possibly handle. As a student I tend to do off work or (sometimes)not do it if assignments are just too much and too difficlut to handle. In the long run i guess if you want to set high standards for yourself and to get into good colleges you, by all means go ahead. If it's me, i would negotiate something to lessen my work if not, just do it off.
|
04/26/2010
Min Li (PD#7 Frank)
Northeast High School, PHILA, PA
Education still an important problem of United States. As I am an immigrant, the education system is totally different from my contry, tests were seem manytime in a school-year. Montyly test, Middle-School-year test, Final official test. Those tests would keep the students in a situation of intention. I think this would help students in keeping a mood to study, but however, it also would make the students into big pressure. So the testing time should have a balanced schedule.
|