aws in Our Public Education
America has remained the world’s largest economy for over 10 decades. Home to more than 50% of the highest ranked colleges and universities, the schools in the United states are looked upon as one of the best worldwide. However when it comes to primary and secondary education, the performance level seem to have remained stagnant compared to other industrialized countries. In fact a study by University of Chicago economist James J. Heckman has shown that individuals with a G.E.D performed no better economically than high school dropouts (Gordon 1). To combat this trend, U.S. needs to reform the education policy systems across the country.
As a country, the academic performance of U.S. seems great, however compared on an international level there is a problem. Every 3 years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducts a study, PISA, across the world on 15-year olds on their performance of math, science and literacy. In the PISA 2012, 65 countries took part. The results show that: for math U.S. ranked 30, for science 18 and for literacy 18. Though the rankings are not bad, in each test the U.S. scored in the range of below average to average. On top of that “ the U.S. average mathematics, science, and reading literacy scores in 2012 were not measurably different from average scores in previous PISA assessment years.” (“Program..”) While U.S’s scores are remaining consistent, other countries are improving. If this trend continues, Americans will lose out on job opportunities and higher education.
The government’s role in education has shown ineffective. The state and local governments primarily run the public schools in America. The state government is responsible for sett...
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... not be made public. It should only be used to show which areas the school needs to improve on as well as raise any red flags for which schools are capable of providing good education to students. If the public schools do not improve, American citizens would lose out on future education or job opportunities to the other academically improving countries.
Crow, Michael M. and Silver, Mariko. “American Education Systems in a Global Context” Technology in Society 30.4(2008):279-291. Print.
Greifner, Laura. “Standardized Tesing” Education Week. 26.33 (2007): 14. Web.
Gordon, Robert J. "The Great Stagnation of American Education." New York Times 7 Sept. 2013: 5(L). Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
“Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)” National Center for Education Statistics. IES Institute of Education Sciences. n.d. Web. 22 Wed. 2014
America has not changed it’s educational system in over two hundred years. For this reason, our students and population are falling further and further behind. Our society has done nothing but move forward, so why hasn’t our learning? Everybody has a story, opinion, or response to education. We need to invest in refining our tools to succeed, to create a better sense of self, and a stronger, more well-rounded nation. The American educational system is hurting students by passing them without merit and relying on standardized tests; however, many are now running back to these hollowed halls to ensure better futures.
The United States has proven to be a world leader with their powerful military, democratic government, and stringent foreign policies. There is one category however, the United States struggles to be number one in, education. As shocking as this may sound, the public school system in America is not superior to other developing countries. I have witnessed this scandalous phenomena firsthand, engrossed in the public school system from kindergarten to freshman year of high school. The student body and the school administration is morphing into a nonproductive system with a zombie-like attitude. American students lack academic drive and curiosity compared to European and Asian countries because the standard for academic success is constantly lowered. Americans must reform the school system and change their perspective on how important an education is to the rest of the world.
United States. National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Tool v3.0. Web. 4 May 2009. .
The 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.
3. U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education StatisticsInternational Year of Statistics 2013 (Statistics2013). "Fast Facts." Fast Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. .
The American government viewed the failing educational system as the root of several of America’s most pressing issues of the time. It was felt that America’s economic repercussions were directly linked to the lack of educational rigor and relevance. They believed that the decline in educational relevance was causing the American people to lose their competitive edge in the global market economy.
The most powerful aspect of this essay is not the essay itself (as you will see) but, rather, the fact that it was written by an American college student.
Education is one of the cornerstones and pillars to the establishment and preservation of democracy. In history, countless scores of philosophers and political thinkers believed that only an educated citizenry can take on the quintessential task of upholding democracy. Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, stated that “an informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.” A renowned defender of public education, Jefferson proposed plans for an education system that included grammar schools in his presidency. As a result of these relentless policies for education, the United States expanded on the concept of public instruction through the establishment and upkeep of a practical education system. The United States continued this tradition and established a reputation as one of the best education in the world. Currently, this is no longer valid as other countries such as Finland, China, and South Korea are competing for the dominant position through rigorous reforms that aim to boost student performances (“Best Education”). Meanwhile, the American system is inefficient, inhibited by political obstacles and gridlock while Finland, the top ranked country in terms of schooling, is continuing to improve. According to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) examinations that tested pupils across a variety of subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science of 2009, Finland’s students were ranked among the top (“PISA 2009”). The American students were ranked below average for industrialized countries in the world, revealing the reality of the educational crisis in the country. Finland’s education system, compared to the Americans, offers major differences that greatly ...
Gamoran, Adam. "American Schooling and Educational Inequality: A Forecast for the 21st Century." American Sociological Assocation. JSTOR, 2001. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
“If you would just get up and teach them instead of handing them a packet. There’s kids in here that don’t learn like that. They need to learn face to face. I’m telling you what you need to do. You can’t expect a kid to change if all you do is just tell ‘em.” Texas student, Jeff Bliss, decided to take a stand against the lack of teaching going on in his class (Broderick).
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the American educational system has undergone much transition in response to our changing society. Though there have been many problems raised throughout the years in regard to what our school systems should be teaching our children, there have also been many developments.
High school and college dropout rates are at an all time high. Secondary school students are told throughout high school that if they don’t go to college then they will never be successful. Going to college doesn’t always make a difference because many career choices such as teachers and lawyers are highly contested and result in either no job or low salary. Low pay deters teacher’s motivation and they tend to work part time jobs to supplement their income. Public schools standards are comparable to a kangaroo court’s procedure; private schools are known for better teachers, environment, and test grades. The major problems in the public school system include the lack of funding, lack of resources, and lack of standards.
President Ronald Reagan once described America as, “A Nation at Risk,” He was addressing this statement to the education department thirty years ago and meant it as a wake-up call. He was aware that the United States was falling behind in education and needed to take action in order to prevent the demise of the country. Reagan correctly predicted the grim fate of America if education did not see improvement. Today, research finds that American education is failing to provide the necessary skills to succeed in college and various careers. The quality of education in America is a growing issue and every year graduate students are finding it more difficult to obtain high paying jobs and start his or her career. According to studies conducted globally, the curriculum in America is not as advanced and years behind international schools in countries such as China and Japan. There is much controversy in government over what can be done to reverse the situation in public schools but possible solutions that have been suggested are hiring more qualified teachers, more classroom time, and investing more money into education.
This is not an educational issue but a political one which needs to be changed as soon as possible. The United States can no longer be falling behind on education or else the percentage of students failing to graduate high school and not attending college will just increase therefore it will create a decline in the economic status of the country as education has become the weapon and power to any society or community’s success. For example if you compare major developed countries such as Singapore and Japan you can see that their main focus is educating their kids and public in order to sustain a strong background.
Even in this time of struggle, with billions of dollars going towards various war efforts overseas, America still has managed to keep taxpayer investments in education higher than that of funds for national defense (U.S Department of Education). In the 2004-05 school year, there was an estimated amount of 536 billion dollars set aside from taxpayer investment for education purposes. Without a doubt, education is a priority for the American government, and if these funds are used in the correct way, there is no reason why each and every kid in the United States shouldn’t be getting a quality education. However, the organization of the financial system is flawed, funds are not handled proportionately at the state level; rather, this system favors the wealthier districts and hands more funds to them while the less wealthier districts are handed a smaller pool of funds. This really affects America’s quality of education, which also reflects upon how America fairs on the world stage when it comes to competition in education with other countries. The disorganization of funds in the United States can be seen in the Hoover City School district, which has bought every student in that district an iPad for use in school. The first problem with this is that this school district does not even have a viable bus system that can transport students to and from school. Secondly, not even 20 miles from this district lies the Birmingham City School district where a little more than half the students are graduating, compared to Hoover City Schools where a bit more than 90 percent of the students are graduating. If anything, the state should be working towards improving educational standards in lower-income communities rather than debating on the log...