Education: The Numbers Game
The Department of Education has announced that the high school graduation rate is at 81%. That is the highest it has been since 1974. That would be laudable if only it were entirely true. To be fair, it may be true if the states and school districts are completely honest when calculating the numbers. On the other hand, we have seen, that because of national accountability in our schools, some factions found unique ways to misrepresent the numbers.
According to NPR ( National Public Radio), “The truth behind that record high graduation rate is complicated. States and school districts are using some powerful, long-term strategies to help potential dropouts stay in school. But many are also fudging their numbers and using quick fixes to make things look better than they are.”
Case in point. Recently, the debacle of some administrators and teachers cheating on the standardized tests given in Atlanta, Georgia has given rise to skepticism when looking at Atlanta’s graduation rates. It raises the question, “If an iniquitous minority cheated on the standardized tests, then, how credible are their graduation rates?”
(See Blog: Disgrace.)
Since 2002, the federal government has been pressing states to increase their graduation rates. Many states and school districts have been developing strategies and initiatives to support students to graduate successfully. For example, in Des Moines, Iowa, there is evidence showing that learning strategies, early intervention, and long term support are helping at risk students to honestly raise test scores and subsequently, graduation rates.
On the other hand, some districts in Illinois and New Jersey are enrolling students in alternative schools. It has been reported that these districts have made an easier and less accountable path to graduation by moving some students off the books of traditional high schools. All told, there are at least 21 states offering alternative schools, mainly for this reason. Unfortunately, other creative means are used to manage the graduation numbers such as mislabeling students.
As if undergraduate news isn’t bad enough, an article from
https://news.wbhm.org/npr_story_post/2015/ states, “Some college athletes are cheating, and the NCAA is cracking down on universities that enable them to do it.”
Sham classes, fraud, ghost writers for athletes, and cheating are ways some colleges are enabling athletes to continue to play on their sports teams.
WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?
- First and foremost, students on all education levels are being denied the right to an excellent education.
- Citizens and parents are paying the cost of such reprehensible actions, while children/young adults suffer the dire consequences.
- These practices show a lack of integrity and dishonesty on the part of some leaders in education.
- The actions of unethical persons involved in The Education Numbers Game may be seen by other countries as a lack of a strong moral code on the part of all Americans.
- Academics, not sports, should be the focus of a college education.
SO WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT THESE PRACTICES?
Everyone has the capability and responsibility to help make changes in the state and national education programs and initiatives by speaking or writing to his/her state and federal representatives and senators.
RESOURCES
https://www.myphilanthropedia.org/top-nonprofits/national/education/2014 http://dfer.org/about-us/statement-of-principles/
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/
What-We-Do/US-Program/College-Ready-Education
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/archived-projects/pre-k-now
https://www.studentsforedreform.org/our-people/
http://www.sedl.org/pubs/free.html://www.sedl.org/pubs/free_reading.html
http://parents4publicschools.org/ http://all4ed.org/
Live simply.
Speak gently.
Love unconditionally.
