Flaws In Education
analytical Essay
1346 words
The ability of gifted students to achieve meaningful learning in the modern classroom is being significantly slowed due to changes in curriculum to account for the lower tier of students. Since the early 2000’s, the classroom has been changed to meet the academic expectations of colleges and employers, of which many high school students were not able to meet. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, along with the widespread acceptance and utilization of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, unfair generalizations of students have been made in order to create an even playing field. Specifically, the students who perform the worst in classes and on standardized tests have received significant benefit from the implementation …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ability of gifted students to achieve meaningful learning in the modern classroom is being significantly slowed due to changes in curriculum to account for the lower tier of students.
- Argues that the removal of the common core and no child left behind act, and the placement of lower-achieving students in a separate environment would result in the advancement of gifted students.
- Argues that the removal of the common core and no child left behind act would result in a higher level of achievement for gifted students.
- Argues that the reformation of gifted and talented programs in high school is necessary to rekindle the desire to pursue supplemental knowledge by exemplary students.
While there is a considerable amount of support behind the idea of the Common Core and ensuring that students will be qualified for their endeavors beyond graduation, the potential of gifted students to become extraordinary in their knowledge, based on their respective desire for knowledge and ability to pace their learning, is essentially lost during high school. For example, I have experienced this problem firsthand in many math classes, which have been converted at Central DeWitt High School to conform to the Common Core Standards Initiative. In order for the class to progress, all students are required to prove their proficiency in a certain skill via short assessments, however it is common for one individual to stall the progress of the class. Given that there is a substantial amount of time that could be spent learning new topics, rather than wait for others to become proficient, it can be reasoned that I am losing valuable time to reach the potential of my academic capabilities. In all, the reason behind the inability of gifted students to truly differentiate themselves from the larger population of peers can be attributed to a necessity of public schools to maintain a consistency between all academic levels of …show more content…
Firstly, the No Child Left Behind Act emphasizes test scores, rather than focusing on crucial topics for academic advancement. Furthermore, according to the ConnectUS Fund, the job security of many teachers is directly correlated to standardized test scores, therefore resulting in students gaining a knowledge base that only pertains to test-taking skills and general knowledge of test topics. This method of teaching results in a reduced capacity of gifted students to advance their learning through the pursuit of endeavors in their respective areas of interest. Secondly, the establishment of the Common Core in many high schools has resulted in a rigid curriculum that does not easily allow for academic growth and exploration. Specifically, the Common Core provides fairly narrow standards of learning that constrict students who have mastered the predetermined skills deemed necessary for advancement, which typically includes gifted students. Given that this structured learning does not account for academic exploration, gifted students are becoming suppressed under the rigidity of the Common Core. Lastly, the Common Core has been found to operate under the premise that all students learn in the same manner, which is blatantly false. Furthermore, the top-down and centrally controlled presentation of academic topics to students fails to
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- argumentative
- comparative
- American Education Flawsanalytical essayThe American educational system is constantly ridiculed for its universal expectations of students, despite their predetermined dispositions. As the world is progressing, America’s educational system is becoming increasingly obsolete. High schools across the country have two serious flaws: placing unreasonable value in test scores and the failure to teach life skills. Leaving these problems untreated may be detrimental to the school system, however, a simple innovation could fix them.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that america's educational system is constantly ridiculed for its universal expectations of students, despite their predetermined dispositions.
- Argues that the nclb program demands that all students must be proficient in mathematics and reading to avoid consequences. the unyielding focus on test scores has molded teaching into a form of test-preparation rather than educating students.
- Argues that the american educational system should be concerned with molding students into responsible citizens and preparing them for their life outside of school.
- Opines that a viable solution to america's educational crisis is reconstruction. students must be adequately prepared for their life after school.
- Argues that american schools should teach through repetition and application rather than memorization to improve the quality of american education and society.
556 wordsRead More - Educating Exceptionally Talented Studentsexplanatory essayConcern for at-risk learners forces the education of high ability learners to take a backseat in traditional classroom. Standard instruction and curriculum based on a pacing and sequencing method does not always allow students to accelerate. By definition, the term “gifted” exemplifies exceptionality often regarding intellect, creativity and leadership. An identification of gifted suggests that an individual requires specialized services and curriculum that are not always addressed by traditional methods of education. High ability learners require a challenging curriculum and specialized educators to prosper academically. The negligence in discharging one’s exceptionality can often lead high-ability learners to foster resentment, boredom and frustration. Traditional instruction and curriculum is not always structured to benefit the needs of exceptional learners. Gifted education programs are essential in educating exceptionally talented students due to the individualized approach toward a student’s unique learning-style. Self -contained gifted classrooms offer a structured environment that allow for social and intellectual growth opposed to the traditional classroom. The inherent flexibility within the gifted program facilitates gifted development of a high-ability learner through acceleration and enrichment.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the term gifted exemplifies exceptionality regarding intellect, creativity, and leadership. traditional instruction and curriculum is not always structured to benefit the needs of exceptional learners.
- Explains that self-contained gifted classrooms segregate exceptional learners from the traditional classroom and curriculum, allowing for accommodations of content, instruction, and environment creating multiple opportunities to excel comfortably.
- Explains that accelerated learning allows gifted children to progress in an area of talent and ability at a pace that maintains their interest. fast-paced or advanced curriculums advocate for many high-ability learners.
- Explains that accelerated programs provide challenging curriculum to avoid repetitious learning. enrichment integrates with acceleration presents a motivating dynamic to inspire gifted individuals.
- Explains that homogenous grouping among gifted and talented individuals allows for opportunities to build strong interpersonal relationships among peers.
- Explains that gifted education programs are an essential tool in educating high-ability learners due to the diverse means of differentiation to meet the academic and social needs of gifted learners.
1140 wordsRead More - Why America's Educational System is Failingargumentative essayThe United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that a test that cannot accurately measure the student's mastery of the broader skills domain is simply incompetent.
- Explains that schools judged on student performance can increase their average scores by retaining high-achieving students with their age-level peers rather than letting them advance a grade.
- Compares finland's education system with that of the united states.
- Concludes that the united states should assume an european or asian education policy if they are ever going to get ahead on the ranking board.
- Argues that the united states of america has placed low on the educational ladder due to heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement.
1116 wordsRead More - Cognitive Development and Underachiever Caseanalytical essaythat achievement motivation is determined by a range of both personal and social contextual factors, (Dai Y.D 1998) . Emirick (1992) asserts that gifted students often turn their intellectual energy to other activities that are outside the schools curriculum and often they not not perceive school work as a central part of their education, as they find what is being taught irrelevant, this is apparent in John Doe’s case as he believes that reading his own material and not handing in work is more important than what is being taught in class. Therefore we can assume that John Doe feels unchallenged in the classroom and is unmotivated to learn as his cognitive ability is well above the curriculum standards.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they have to consider psychological and sociological factors that may contribute to john doe's low academic achievement. this diagnosis will inform the school of the reasons why he fails to meet his academic potential and help develop an appropriate intervention plan.
- Argues that the ambiguous relationship between adolescence and gifted underachievers has to be considered.
- Explains that cognitive developmental theorists in educational learning, such as paiget, assist in the understanding of why some gifted students underachieve during adolescence.
- Argues that john doe's underachievement is due to his being labeled as gifted, which is relevant in erikson’s theory of psychosocial development.
- Explains that motivational and self-regulation factors are key to understanding john doe’s low academic performance. social cognitive theories help to provide a significant understanding to gifted underachievers.
- Explains that achievement motivation is determined by a range of personal and social contextual factors. emirick asserts that gifted students often turn their intellectual energy to other activities that are outside the schools curriculum.
645 wordsRead More - We Must Reform America's Educational Systemanalytical essayCritiques express concern about standardized tests and insist that there should be some way to measure the excellence of students within the same context dictated by strict and uniform educational standard (Baker, 2006; Kohn, 2000). Experts, like Dr. Montessori, do not agree and counter that there are other methods that can be implemented to evaluate each child. They warn about instilling fear and anxiety in students and the consequences to their brain development (Kohn, 1999; Kunimura, 2010; Montessori, 1949; Myers, 2011). Instead they stress the importance of creating an environment that allows trial and error to maximize learning, to mimic real life situations. Proponents of the current educational system continue on and want to even deepen their Common Core Initiative, that strives to align the different state curricular into a unified whole, while basing it on the current school reform (Kohn, 1999; Ravitch, 2010). Scholars on the other hand are deeply concerned about this and refute that it disengages kids in schools and their learning. They argue that children, too, are diverse human beings, just like adults who are naturally different and that school curricular have to be flexible to allow for challenges each leaner brings along. In addition, they object and remind that children are not machines were one manual would do for all. They remind that children are born explorers and natural learners, educating this out of them deploys emotional instability, rejection and skepticism and achieves just the opposite.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that standardized tests should be used to measure the excellence of students within the same context dictated by strict and uniform educational standards, while experts like dr. montessori counter that there are other methods to evaluate each child.
- Argues that standardized testing is an objective means to evaluate comprehension, but experts disapprove again, stating that it only tests a small portion of what students should be learning, while narrowing curricular.
- Argues that society should trust in school faculty's ability to develop curricular and tests in the first place.
- Explains that the current u.s. educational system continues to introduce other means of evaluating student's achievements while creating a positive and encouraging attitude in learning outcomes that can be implemented immediately.
- Argues that there is no ultimate truth and that even all areas of science are grounded in personal experiences, ideas and enlightenment, suggesting merging science with phenomenology into intersubjectivity.
- Argues that testing should be limited to only administering them every few years, choosing a diversity of children, and substituting common core standards with constructivism learning theories in curricular to rescue current educational standards from the grip of the past.
- Opines that educational policies need to be transformed and not just reformed in order to provide children with an education they deserve.
- Opines that parents need to realize that raising children takes time and work beyond just cooking and cleaning for them. caregivers should re-prioritize and become more involved in the life and education of their children.
- Opines that it is important to let children guide us, as we can learn so much from them, while providing adults with the opportunity to experience things in life with renewed eyes.
- Cites abram, d., baker, j. m. and brown, c.
- Explains freire, p., huelsman, c.b. and jones, j. standardized tests and early childhood education.
- Analyzes kohn's case against standardized testing: raising the scores, ruining the schools. montessori-pierson publishing company.
- Cites myers, d. g., worth publisher, and organization for economic co-operation and development.
- Cites ravitch, d., robinson, k. and robinson on the death and fife of the great american school system.
1311 wordsRead More - Intelligence Test and Gifted Requirementsanalytical essayDespite the criticism presented here, many still believe that the average IQ test qualifies as enough for a student to gain admittance. Looking back on the Gifted Program’s history, passing the average IQ test with a score above 130 was the only qualification or requirement to gain admittance into the program. Many believed that this caused no harm; therefore, the IQ test remains sufficient today. Also, although there are other and more efficient ways of testing the students, the IQ test does provide useful information that should and does contribute to the decision of whether or not a student gains admittance. It shows a student’s le...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the average intelligence test is not enough, and should not remain the primary requirement, because other means of testing reflect a student's intelligence more than the results of one primary source.
- Argues that an average intelligence test should not be the primary qualifications for admittance into the gifted program because it fails to accurately reflect the student's intelligence.
- Concludes that the intelligence test should not be the primary qualification to gain admittance into a gifted program.
- Explains kuttler, ami flam. "gifted/iq evaluations."
- Argues that the average iq test should not be the primary qualification for admittance into the gifted program.
- Opines that the test needs to target more characteristics of gifted students, such as those listed above, than it currently targets.
1371 wordsRead More - Characteristics And Analysis Of The Talents Unlimited Modelcomparative essayThe Talents Unlimited Model was created under the philosophy that all students, both those identified as gifted and those not, would benefit from enrichment programs. The model is used to educate teachers on how to use differentiated instruction to use “higher order cognitive tasks to help students with varying abilities use their preferred thinking talents to manipulate instruction to solve problems, see broad relationships, evaluate varying perspectives, draw comparisons among disparate viewpoints, and predict causes and effects” (Schlichter, 2009, p. 434).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the talents unlimited model (tu) was founded on the belief that all students, whether gifted identified or not, should receive enrichment services focused on fostering critical thinking skills.
- Proposes that instead of using the talents unlimited model as a school or district’s gifted program, it could be used to pull important and beneficial teaching and learning strategies to enrich learning for all students.
- Explains that the talents unlimited model was created under the philosophy that all students, both identified as gifted and those not, would benefit from enrichment programs.
- Explains that the talents unlimited model is primarily focused on teaching thinking skills and not driven by specific pre and post assessments, but these assessments have been used as evidence of the model’s success.
- Explains that the talents unlimited program is based off of the concept of critical and creative thinking skills, which incorporates creative-thinking strategies to meet the needs of gifted students.
1013 wordsRead More - Intelligence: A Product of Social Constructionanalytical essayIn every elementary school in America third graders are forced to take a test that will greatly impact their academic careers. The G.A.T.E. program, which stands for gifted and talented education, is designed to separate the gifted children from the average and below average kids. However, the G.A.T.E. test is comprised of questions the children do not have the answers for. In other words, the kids are being tested on their innate knowledge of the world and their ability to creatively solve problems they have never encountered. Some might believe there is no flaw in testing a child’s natural intelligence. The test is given to each student and each student is given the same amount of time to complete a test of identical questions. But what educators fail to account for is the social bias of the test and the socio-eco...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the iq test is a reliable predictor of students' academic performance, but fails to test the multiple intelligences of the human brain.
- Argues that the g.a.t.e. program is designed to separate gifted children from the average and below average kids. the test is comprised of questions the children do not have the answers for.
- Explains howard gardner's theory that human cognitive competence is better described in terms of a set of abilities, talents, or mental skills, which we call intelligence.
- Analyzes how a professional baseball player, like tony gwin, can be genius in his respective field. the distance from the mound to the plate is 90 feet.
- Argues that multiple intelligences exist, but educators have not yet created a test that can accurately evaluate the seven types of intelligence simultaneously.
- Opines that new testing and rewriting of tests should be the first step in making american public education fair to all americans.
- Explains jacobus a., lee & howard gardner's a rounded version: the theory of multiple intelligences.
1366 wordsRead More - Gifted and talented programs are intrinsically valuable to many children’s education as they provide a system in which all students involved are engaged, challenged, and intellectually stimulated. In "How People Learn", Donovan, Bransford, and Pellegrino (1999) stress the importance of each student being given reasonable and appropriate goals based on his or her level of understanding and competency (p. 20). Gifted and talented programs help institutionalize the attempt to meet all student’s needs by providing uniquely appropriate challenges which aim to keep every student engaged, thus receiving the best chance at success. Although there are many valuable and important aspects of gifted education, there are also significant issues rooted in the base of America’s gifted and talented programs, one of which I will address throughout this paper. In my opinion, the most notable problem which troubles gifted and talented programs is the system by which students are selected to join their school’s gifted and talented program.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that gifted and talented programs are intrinsically valuable to many children's education as they provide a system in which all students involved are engaged, challenged, and intellectually stimulated.
- Explains that the problem associated with how students are chosen to join a gifted and talented program stems from the way that we define giftedness.
- Explains that the united states congress has slightly altered the definition of giftedness presented in 1972 to remedy the problem that talent was being too narrowly defined.
- Argues that one iq-based test for admittance into a gifted and talented program regulates the system by holding all students to the same standard. laycock was one of the initial researchers who had trouble squaring the idea of using one test with his ideas of how student’s should be selected for talent programs.
- Analyzes how boland discusses the advantages of using multiple criteria for the evaluation of students to reduce the risk of error. baska suggests using the same tests but lowering the standard for acceptance.
- Analyzes laycock's argument that continual testing is good, but no student should be removed from gifted and talented programs based on a poor re-test score.
- Argues that standardized tests are not an intrinsically bad method of evaluating talent, as long as other methods, such as nominations, are used as well.
- Compares birch's study of two academic summer programs, one with an open door acceptance policy, and the other with specific admission requirements, including a recommendation.
- Opines that the most obvious problem which begs for reforms is the system by which students are accepted into these programs. multiple criteria for evaluation, continual testing of students, culturally unbiased tests, nominating processes, and even a partial self-selection process would both increase the diversity of the students involved in such programs
2216 wordsRead More - Gifted Education Case Studyanalytical essayThe bulk of legal cases are in the realm of special education, but only time will tell if gifted education will challenge our highest courts. For now, district administrators and teachers must continue with due diligence to meet the needs of gifted learners, but they must always stay abreast of rulings from the Office of Dispute Resolution. By following the due process hearings, districts can identify commonalities with their own district practice and adjust as needed. Gifted education enrollment numbers are dwarfed by the special education numbers, but the parents of gifted students are no less vocal and often have more resources available to them. Regardless of what the law has said or will say, it is the school’s responsibility to grow all learners, but realize that is our gifted learners who have the innate ability to truly make a difference in our
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the case of c.c. v. north allegheny school district, where the district refused to permit him to take two advanced placement courses, which did not align with the strengths addressed in gieps.
- Explains bensalem township's screening system is available for all students, allowing them to be considered for gifted education regardless of suspicions communicated by teachers and parents.
- Argues that districts should be careful when requesting reevaluations for students — a review of records will likely provide necessary information rendering full psychological testing unnecessary.
- Argues that a scheduled reevaluation at transition years may eliminate the common concern regarding the giep at the high school level.
- Opines that district administrators and teachers must continue with due diligence to meet the needs of gifted learners, but they must stay abreast of rulings from the office of dispute resolution.
- Explains that the gifted support teacher develops the giep by collecting data and evidence of where the student is academically at the moment.
1514 wordsRead More