by Kevin O'Connell

Created on: October 12, 2008

Our modern educational system is neither triumph nor travesty, and for that matter, not all that modern. More so it is a system in transition.

The typical classroom at the secondary level still operates on a traditional structure in which the teacher is the primary source of information, and the transmission of this knowledge is still typically by lecture, accompanied by note-taking, and assessed by short-answer.

The federal government's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has done little to change this structure, and contrary to its objectives and claims, has fostered a teaching to the test approach. As a result, districts that are influenced heavily by diversity, and the challenges that come along with such populations, are obligated to funnel much of their resources towards remediation at the expense of more out-of-the-box learning experiences for their more ready students. A look at the current Contract for Excellence regulations will reveal that those districts accepting these funds are required to create more and more academic intervention services, and little attention, if any, is given to more rigorous programs and curriculum. In fact, this money is invested in extended time on task for at risk students, usually by means of additional periods of core courses, and smaller class sizes that emphasize the skills and strategies directly related to the State exams. While the reflex is to applaud the logic of these strategies, a more sustained glance will note that the method of instruction is not altered, and more periods and smaller class sizes means more teachers and teacher salaries.

On the surface, it may appear that NCLB is having a positive effect on the system. The percentage of students earning Regents diplomas in New York State has improved. However, contrary to the years prior to 2001, there is no other road to graduation. Even today's local diploma is dependent upon Regents examinations, and the examinations themselves, though still significantly rigorous, have built in "outs" that provide for a more liberal interpretation of what constitutes a passing grade. The math exams are based on considerable curves, which though in certain circumstances penalize, more often than not favor the over-all test taking population. The social studies exams include not only DBQs which provide a liberal means for accumulating points, but similar to the English Competency Test, employ a subjective rubric to assign grade points to the essays. For both core exams the accumulated

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>