I FIND it ironic that while the United States is a powerful nation with top military capabilities, we are struggling with something as simple as education. When the government passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, it appeared that finally the education system was being reformed. The legislation focused on utilizing standardized test scores in order to determine progress in schools.
Schools had to achieve a certain level of proficiency to receive decent government funding. Yet although No Child Left Behind began with the best intentions, it has crucial flaws that must be addressed to ensure the successful reform of the U.S. educational system. In addition, this effort must include changes to the education system that the Obama Administration is currently attempting to implement.
Unfortunately, in the process of trying to meet the education standards set by the act, schools increased their focus on math and English and decreased focus on the arts since only knowledge of the first two subjects was being tested. As a result, when schools decided which programs to cut in response to dwindling budgets, arts programs were the first to be slashed. A comprehensive education, however, involves understanding a wide range of subjects that includes the arts.
Furthermore, the act's method of determining how much a student has learned is flawed. Part of the problem is the usage of standardized tests because the results of standardized tests end up indicating how well a student is capable of taking a test rather than a student's knowledge of the subject matter. In addition, the emphasis that the act placed upon standardized tests encouraged teachers to "teach to the test" rather than provide students with a comprehensive view of a subject. When I was in high school, for example, students often would ask questions in history class only to have the teacher respond that since the topic was not on the yearly state standardized test it was irrelevant.
To have educational reform we must move away from the act's rigid structure and allow states to have more flexibility in their educational system. States should have the opportunity to structure their educational systems to accommodate for their own respective situations. In fact, President Obama has proposed that "to help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level."
To ensure that students are truly well-rounded and prepared to enter the workforce, states and local school districts should embrace this new flexibility to create a system of evaluating students that focuses on matching student needs. Such an approach will provide a more accurate representation of student achievement.
I am not proposing we do away with standardized tests completely. They do level the playing field and should be used as a mechanism for evaluating students - they should not, however, be the only mechanism. Additionally, student evaluation should be extended to other academic areas such as the arts, which will ensure that students receive a holistic education. A well-rounded student, specifically someone who has dabbled in the arts, is more capable of thinking in innovative and creative ways because he has been exposed to a wide range of skills and ideas. Therefore, those students are more prepared to meet the demands of the workforce.
Education reform should include a comprehensive evaluation that measures teachers as well as students. In fact, states already have began adopting mechanisms such as teacher evaluations to ensure capable teachers are teaching. And flexibility also will allow states to focus on student improvement rather than how many students attain proficiency. Whereas the act expects students in each grade to have higher standardized test scores than the preceding year's students - which makes education a form of competition - local and state governments now should be able to give more attention to all kinds of students and their needs.
Education is crucial to ensuring that U.S. youth can hold their own against the next generation of individuals in other nations. We need a good education system to retain our competitive edge. Reforming the No Child Left Behind Act is the first of many reforms that will allow us to thrive in a competitive world economy.
Fariha Kabir is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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