We live in an area which includes several different types of individuals; which all have different backgrounds and cultures. My native language is Spanish, and I learned English throughout my elementary and middle school years. Growing up with Spanish being my first language has been a great quality of mine, therefore I believe that learning Spanish is harder than learning English. I am extremely happy and thankful that I learned Spanish and English because it is truly amazing to know both languages. Both languages are the two most languages used in the valley, which is the area in which I grew up.
When I was growing up I began my pre-k and Kindergarten years in English classes. They ended up moving me into bilingual classes in the first grade
As a future teacher it’s my responsibility to help students learn their native language at the same time as guiding them with their second language. I believe that it’s important to teach in both languages because it gives the students a better understanding of what is being taught. Before testing days I plan on conducting practice tests, so the students can get used to the tests and not be afraid of them during the test taking
Starting on the third grade level each school in the state of Texas conducts tests pertaining to the material taught during the entire year. These tests have changed names and regulations year after year. When I was in school they would call them the TAAS tests. At a later time they changed the name of these tests to TAKS tests. Later, after I graduated high school they started calling them the STAAR tests. These test scores have a big meaning to the students overall progress in their grade level. Teachers have to focus on teaching the right material to make the students pass all the assessments that need to be passed by their students. The school system puts a lot of pressure on the teachers to make sure the teachers do the best possible to make all students pass all their required
Every year students in each grade level are required to take standardized testing to determine their level of competency in the course. The schools use it as a tool for passing students to the next grade level and ensuring they have been taught adequately. The Texas Education Agency or TEA supplies and monitors these tests given to students each year. According to the results received this past year, in 2013, 35 schools out of 456 campuses in Texas performed poorly on the STAAR test. The 35 campuses belongs to Dallas Independent School District which is 8% of the total and more than half of Houston’s sc...
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, otherwise known as the TAKS, is a standardized test used throughout the state of Texas to determine whether or not a student is prepared for the next grade level. The TAKS test was implemented in 2003 to replace the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills in concurrence with the “No Child Left Behind Act”. The new test added science and social studies portions to the already existing sections of math, reading, and English. The purpose of this was to obtain more information on where students are academically. However, since its inception, the test has been criticized for numerous reasons. The TAKS test has become ineffective in several capacities and has been used to determine teacher bonuses and assessment of how well a teacher is communicating, evaluations that it was not originally intended to decide. When taking into account all of these points of view, I have come to the conclusion that the TAKS test should no longer be used in its present function.
Standardized testing in Texas public schools has parents and teachers furious. It is an argument of Texas Legislature versus those who oppose. Student will take about 17 of these tests before entering high school (Smith A17A). Texas schools are currently conflicted with taking the STAAR tests as it brings upon many arguments. The disadvantages seem to rule out the few advantages test makers tried to pass. Rather than helping students see where they stand, it makes students feel as if they do not stand a chance.
“Students are taking between ten and twenty standardized tests, depending on the grade. A total average of one hundred thirteen different ones by graduation.”(Locker) A few years ago the United States, along with other nations, was given a test to assess the academic strengths and weaknesses of each nation and rank them accordingly. When the results were released and the United States was ranked near the bottom, it was decided to start incorporating more testing through school. Between benchmark, TLI, PARCC, and common core standards, teaching technique was forced to change. Standardized testing has had a negative effect on teachers and students, implementing inadequate grading standards and the common core curriculum, such testing has made
...udents excel in both languages. Some parents worry about "too much" exposure to the new language, they fear that their children will forget their roots. This will not happen because the models eventually turn into a 50 to 50 ratio.
Standardized tests have been around for quite a while now, and are used by a large number of schools. These tests are developed by large educational companies, and because they are distributed to such a large number of schools, they’re used as a standard with which to compare students from the state in which they reside, or across the U.S. Most of these tests are fill in the bubble, multiple-choice, versus essay tests, which are more expensive for the schools to have graded. Some of the better known standardized tests are: SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Test), CAT (California Achievement Test), ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills), and TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills).
When I first started school, I remember how difficult it was for me to make the transition from Spanish to English. My Mom left me at the door of the school in the morning, but since I was placed in an English-only classroom, the next time I opened my mouth to speak to anyone was when she picked me up again that afternoon. I didn't know what anyone was saying around me, and to make matters worse, my teacher didn't speak a single word of Spanish. That day, like every other day, I came home crying because I felt like an outsider. That year was very difficult for me because I ended up in the back corner of the classroom not participating. As a result, I had to take several years of summer school in order to catch up, something that could have been avoided if I had been placed in a bilingual program. Several key advantages to bilingual education are that it allows for an emotionally safe transition, students don't fall behind in their lessons, and parents are not alienated from their children's education.
The state standards are in place for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They govern what students should know from one grade to the next. The State Board of Education decides on the essential knowledge and skills that each students should acquire. This is done with the participation of “educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers” (TX School Law Bulletin). The curriculum was adopted in the late 1990s with a foundation curriculum development, with subjects including: English, health education, physical education, fine arts, economics, technology application, career development, Spanish language arts and careers and technical development (Texas Education Agency, 2016). The state has managed to change the curriculum over time to keep up with changing trends in education through the use of legislative panels. These panels would explore what changes were needed to the standards and would make recommendations accordingly. However, one of the controversies associated with TEKS is that the changes made by recommendations from these panels often go into effect immediately. They can often significantly impact students that may already be struggling in one are or another (Supovits, 2009,
In the United States, it is important for a person to speak English fluently because it is the official language in America and everybody communicates in English. Many people believe that English should be the only language in America and that sometimes people may face prejudice when they speak English with an accent. For some parents, the fear of prejudice makes them decided not to teach their children their native tongue. On the other hand, there are many other reasons why some parents want to teach their children their native tongue. Gabriela Kuntz explains in My Spanish Standoff why she did not allow her children to speak Spanish at home. Kuntz’s explanations are acceptable, but some research studies reveal that most young children can learn two or more languages. Also, many researchers say that children can learn a second language faster than adults.
In 2002, President George W. Bush passed the “No Child Left Behind Act” which tied in schools’ public funding to standardized tests and enforced the tests in elementary and high schools every year by state education departments. This law also began to put more emphasize on standardized tests which has diminished our level of education and the law “made standardized test scores the primary measure of school quality” (Diane Ravitch 28). Bush hoped this law motivated more students to do well on these exams and teachers to help them prepare better, but it ended up hurting many schools in the process. These exams like the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) should not play such a prominent role in schooling and the government should not make tests the main focal point.
In conclusion, learning English was a challenge when it was first introduced to me, but now I have overcome that challenge. I am able to defend myself in the outside public world of English with no shame at all. I now understand how fortunate I am to know another language different from my own. For me, it is important to still have my first language because it is a way to retain the Mexican culture. It is just the way I was raised to believe.
Transitioning from Spanish to English was the most difficult thing ever. At age six I
I speak fluent Spanish and English. Furthermore, since I was in first grade of elementary school my school required for us to take two English classes per grade up to 12th grade.
Being able to speak more than one language is proving to be a valuable skill in modern society. Many children across the world are at least bilingual, leaving many American parents wondering if they too, should learn to speak another language. While this debate remains ongoing, many adults are seeking to learn a second language either to communicate with a new client base or to attain higher status within a corporate setting.
As time goes by and as the global community develops, the world grows more and more international, making second or third language acquisition become necessary to the majority. With the growing importance of multiple language ability, more and more parents think of bilingual or multilingual education, which means acquisitions of two or more languages, for their kids. In fact, we do have many reasons showing why multilingual education is important and beneficial, such as aspects of interpersonal relationship, employment, brain health, and so on.