Nation+at+Risk

Synthesis - Nation at Risk - [|Megan] [|Jessica] [|Evan]


 * **Name** || **Abstract** || **Reflection** ||
 * Brann Meghan || In this article there are a ton of figures thrown out and discussed. They are broken down in how it got that way and how to stop it. //A nation at risk// is trying to scare us as teachers, future parents and current students. They focused on how students are not worried about getting into colleges today because we made it so easy for them to just get into a community or state university. They also brought up that kids should be in school longer to learn the materials at a higher level. The last interesting point for me was in the teaching recommendations, that teachers should get a better competitive salary and that we should have options to better ourselves. || I think that some schools are changing and I can see some of these recommendations occurring in schools today. All of the statics lock me into the article and I think if I have seen or been apart of those stats. I think that we are a nation at risk. We have been for years but no one has really stepped up with an effective plan. Bush thought he had the answers with no child left behind, but that has turned out to be more headaches then being helpful. I think a lot of districts have taken it upon themselves to fix their schools and some seem to be moving into the right direction with those moves. ||
 * Brissette Samantha || This article was a plea to our nation, asking for help in reforming our schools. They talked about how other countries were manufacturing better products, making more leaps than us, essentially saying that we have become too comfortable and grown stagnant. They listed a stack of figures about the students in our schools and how more and more are becoming functionally illiterate. The last several pages are recommendations for our schools on content, teaching, time, expectations and even fiscal support. Many of their suggestions have been implemented, such as certain basic requirements for the completion of high school. || I agree that our schools need an overhaul to make them the best they can be, and some of their suggestions are very good, but how do we implement them and enforce them? No one wants to step up to the plate and take responsibility for all that an overhaul would entail. And yes, we need to do something about our schools, but this almost seems to be a commentary on our society. We have become complacent and no longer try to find the best paths or push ourselves forward. This goes with our schools too, someone suggests the next new thing and we jump right into it rather than taking the time and effort to blend the helpful elements or determine if there are any adverse factions. ||
 * Davis Christine || The article explores the downfall of our nation's education system and the regression in not only the quality of the education provided, but the quality of the educators themselves and also their students. While there is no single reason why our schools are failing, there are several contributing factors (such as lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling, lower quality teachers, and lower standards) that can absolutely be remedied with the right attention and resolve. The editor notes that the apathetic attitude exhibited by our country towards the importance of education puts us at an international disadvantage, with other industrial nations surpassing us in almost every way. Drawing from the ideals of Thomas Jefferson, the author notes that “a high level of shared education is essential to a free, democratic society and to the fostering of a common culture, especially in a country that prides itself on pluralism and individual freedom” (1). The second half of the essay provides an outline for the reformation of the education system in the United States, suggesting that higher standards, a more rigorous standard curriculum, requiring higher educational standards of those who are and will become teachers, better teacher salaries and incentives or benefits, and pouring more funding into the school system will help to shift us back onto a path or growth and power. || Awesome. Someone finally realized (and wasn't afraid to articulate) the importance of intelligent people becoming teachers. Ultimately, teaching is a profession, not unlike law or medicine, that requires people who are gifted in, or at least inclined to, teaching. If you have people who were barely able to pass high school teaching high school, then how do you expect the students that said teacher has in their classroom to really learn anything? It seems reasonable that we would want the most intelligent people teaching in our schools because they have the best grasp on the knowledge to be taught, and also the ability to relay this information to the students. I also agree that more focus should be placed on taking courses in our content area and less on education courses (I'm not discounting the importance of these courses by any means, I just feel that more time could be taken to take content area courses that will allow us to develop an even broader, and also more in-depth knowledge, of those things that we are supposed to teach). I feel like teaching has become the “fall-back” profession for those people who did not have the ability to seek another avenue of interest or who really felt that high school was the best time of their life and they just can't wait to go right back there and extend their adolescence as a teacher. Or, my favorite, those who become teachers because of the awesome health benefits and school vacations. Who doesn't want their summer off?! Yes, I'm glad that there isn't a shortage of educators, but sometimes I wonder if it might be better to have a shortage than to have a surplus of mediocre teachers in our schools. ||
 * Gergosian Katharine || This article was an interesting time piece. Even though it was written 25 years ago, many points are still relevant . This report was initially produced to urge America to examine the education system and push for reform. It is about a need to recommit to high quality education for all students. This article pointed out that other nations were surpassing the accomplishments of Americans and beginning to lead the way in the world. The authors backed up this claim with many statistics and background information. It is declared, with much alarm, that the generation present at press will not surpass their parents level of knowledge, but will not even meet it. The piece continuities and explains to the reader that we have many raw materials to work with to reach the goal in sight. Among these tools are the youth, their parents, and the dedication of teachers. The public is urged to make a commitment to education for the better of the society as a whole. From there, the article moves into recommendations.A is content. There needs to be a universal content taught so that students are all equipped with the same base of knowledge.B is standards and expectations. The stakes need to be raised and academics in America need to be more rigorous . C is time. Students need more time for learning, including the possibilities of more homework, a longer school year (200 - 230 days) and 7 hour days.D is teaching. Teachers need more incentives and better preparation for their profession.E is leadership and fiscal support. Basically, leadership needs to be top notch and citizens need to make education a fiscal priority. "A Nation at Risk" wraps up with encouraging words and tones of the American "can do spirit". America has triumphed through adversity before, and our frightening decline in quality education is just another hurdle we will be able to face. || I thought this was a very interesting piece. While I didn't agree with some of the points (especially those under time) it was well-written and clear. I was impressed that 18 months were spent crafting this plea to America, but disappointed that many of the things cited in the text are still things we struggle with today. Yes, we have come a long way from the courses on dating practices and borrowing the car, but we still have a long way to go. I think some of the changes have been implemented, but clearly many more have been overlooked. I'm wondering what the general reaction was when this piece first hit the public. It seems like it should have had a great impact and raised many alarms. ||
 * Goodrow Megan || This article discussed how our nation is falling behind other nations in several different areas. Not only are we falling behind in areas such as industry and technology, but also education. Other industrialized nations are jumping ahead of us in these areas and it all starts with education and our standards for education. The article explains that the reason we have fallen behind is because of how we view education as another thing to just get through. Standards have been set low and there is minimal effort in working hard to move onto higher education. The article then discusses how to deal with this risk by simply raising expectations and standards. Education requirements need to be higher so that people are not just getting the minimum because that is all they really need. || I think that this article is quite accurate. I wouldn't say that everyone has the mind set of just getting by at the absolute minimum, but that it does happen. I have seen this and experienced it myself. I know people who do not put in much effort in education because they know the minimum and do what they need to do to get through it. Unfortunately, I know that I have even just done the minimum at times in my education. I look back and know that I certainly could have worked harder in high school and received a better education. I think that if standards were set higher and requirements for higher education were more strict than people would put in more effort to better themselves. ||
 * Hebert Justin ||  ||   ||
 * Howard, Nikki || This article argues that the United States of America is at risk of falling behind the rest of the industrialized nations in the areas of commerce, industry, technology and other sciences. This is due to the lack of skill that Americans possess the skills and training in order to surpass other workers from other nations. This is partly because of the attitude that “education means doing the minimum work necessary for the moment, then coasting through life on what may have been learned in its first quarter” (4). The article recommends that in response to this "risk", graduation requirements be strengthened, standards and expectations be raised of graduates, or that more time should be required to be spent in school (such as extending the school day.) Other suggestions are: Teachers be required to meet high standards, and other leadership and fiscal reforms take place. || I thought that, in a lot of ways, this article seems to mimic No Child Left Behind, with the standards being put across the board in order to achieve a certain level of education. I think that a lot of the information and statistics in this article are interesting, however some of the ideas are a little bit absurd (extending the school day, for more homework than is now the case?) As a high school student, I had around 4 hours of homework a night! However, some of the ideas made a lot of sense; I liked the idea about better classroom management ideas, along with firm and fair codes of student conduct that are enforced CONSISTENTLY. ||
 * Killam Kathleen || The article "A Nation At Risk" discusses the decrease in education in the United States. Students aren't learning as much in school as in the past, so they are behind in college, and therefore behind in learning when they enter the real world. A part of why this is happening is because schools aren't requiring a lot from their students in order to graduate. The article recommended a plan - that students need 4 years of English, 3 years of math, science, and social studies, and a half year of computer science. And for students who want to go to college, they should also take 2 years of a foreign language. We should also expect more from our teachers, they should have to meet high standards in order to teach the youth of America. || This article seemed a little outdated to me, the statistics that they gave were from decades ago and I had a hard time relating to it. All of the recommendations that they suggested are in use today. The requirements for a high school diploma were the requirements that were in place when I graduated. Colleges and universities do have standards for letting students in, and they do expect a lot from students once they are enrolled. The recommendations that they article said that aren't being used today is that teachers aren't on an 11 month contract and their salaries aren't being increased. The article also wanted students to be in school more hours per day and more days per year. As long as students are engaged and learning while they're in school, I don't see why they have to stay in school longer. ||
 * Minor Maria || The report, //A Nation at Risk// by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, states that the educational foundations “are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people” (p.1). For the first time in history, American students are being outdone and outscored by students in other countries. The Commission suggests a goal for the educational system to develop the talents of everyone: “We must demand the best effort and performance from all students, whether they are gifted or less able, affluent or disadvantaged, whether destined for college, the farm, or industry” (p.7). The first recommendation made by the Commission is to improve education in our Nation includes a specific approach to implementing content known as the Basics as well as the New Basics. The next recommendation makes a few suggestions including: grades should be used to measure academic achievement, colleges and universities should raise admission requirements, standardized tests should be administered at major transition points, and textbooks should be updated to include more rigorous content. The remaining recommendations include time, teaching, leadership and fiscal support. In an attempt to motivate current students, the report advices students to work to their full capacity, so they can create their own future and control their destiny. In their final word, the authors’ state: “It is our willingness to take up the challenge, and our resolve to see it through, that America’s place in the world will be either secured or forfeited” (p.11). || ====== I had a lot of mixed feeling about this report. It has been more than 20 years since it was published, so the educational system has obviously changed since then. I think we can now admit that “foreign power” has surpassed our educational performance, Japan is one country that comes to mind. This report made it sound like we were literally at war, and we were all going to die if we didn’t change the educational performance of students now. I don’t understand why it was so important to remain above the performance levels of other countries, we are still strong competitors. The recommendations made by the Commission reminded me of the education system we have in place today. We have standards that students are supposed to meet in each grade level, standardized tests, and the government has tried to have a bigger role in education. One recommendation I definitely agree with is the teaching salary should be increased and be professionally competitive, market-sensitive, and performance based. ====== ||
 * Serrantino Jessica || This article notes on how the world is becoming more competitive in everything from the economy to education and the United States is coming up short. The authors are calling for a reform of the schooling system because not only do students need brains to succeed in life, but having an education is part of being an American because everyone is entitled to an education. The authors open their article with some depressing statistics focusing on how unintelligent Americans are. When this was written, 23 million American adults were illiterate, and even the gifted students weren’t working up to par. The authors are now calling for individuals, schools, and society to achieve excellence by pushing the limits, setting higher standards, and focusing on become life-long learners. With the ever-changing world, it is important for Americans to be open to learning new things so they can keep up. By creating a Learning Society, a better quality of life will be given to life-long learners. To create a Learning Society public support is needed and higher standards are required. The authors found that students’ are not learning enough in school, the expectations for them are low, and are not spending enough time in school. They also noted on the lax requirements for college admission and courses being taught to prepare teachers, so they came up with recommendations for improving schools. First, regarding content, students should be required to take four years of English, and three years of math, science, and social studies. College bound students should take two years of a language in addition to the required four to six years they should start taking in elementary school. They recommend that grades and standardized tests should be the indicators of student achievement, much more homework should be assigned, “trouble students” should be removed from the classroom, and school hours should last longer. This article was a plea to parents, students, and society to help improve America’s schools. || I was surprised when I looked at the date of the article. I thought maybe we would be reading something more recent, but we’re definitely dealing with similar issues that they were in the 1980’s. 23 million Americans were considered functionally illiterate in the 1980’s, and I bet a good sum of them graduated high school . . . somehow. It’s ridiculous, and forgetting about the people who aren’t fortunate enough to go to school for a minute, how do the fortunate people get this far in school? Maybe it has something to do with state requirements. I was really surprised when the article mentioned, “one-fifth of all 4-year public colleges in the United States must accept every high school graduate within the state.” I was reminded of UMF a little bit with the segment on teacher preparation. I’m taking all of these method courses and all of these advanced literature courses, but I’m not being prepared at all to teach high school English. While my Content Lit course prepared me a little, I don’t think I’m prepared to teach any of the 23 million or so illiterate souls who end up in my classroom as much as I wish I was. I had a lot of problems with some of their recommendations. While I loved the fact that they have us learning different languages in elementary school, I had issues with their grading and homework policies and their love for the SAT’s. I do not agree that students should be assigned more homework. What about the kids who have to go home and take care of their family, or work? I see teachers assigning a lot of busy work to fulfill this recommendation. I also had to highlight the word “Burden” under Recommendation C.5. I don’t think that’s an appropriate word to use, whether it may be true or not, and I think these students deserve a chance in a normal classroom as much as anyone else. While I can give them credit for noting to provide programs to meet the needs of these students, I don’t see that happening in an Alternative classroom. I see these students being forgotten about. ||
 * Trexler Sarah || Our nation is at risk because as a nation we were once the ones making the best stuff. All of a sudden we have competitors who have begun to outshine us in technological advances as well as in areas that were once our strengths. Our place in the world is not the only reason we are at risk, but being educated is important to function as a society. It is important for each member to learn and be able to contribute in order to effectively live as a nation. We have become lazy and are interested in putting forth the minimum in many areas of life in order to get by. We are quickly creating generations of people who know less than their parents, which is a contrast to what happened before where each generation knew more than their parents. We are at risk because we have not held true to the prospect that as a nation we are here to provide everybody with a fair chance at receiving a good education. Individuals in our society are lacking higher order thinking skills and often the basic skills to be successful even in the military. In order to fix this problem we need to work together; parents, teachers and faculty, and the government. The article outlines a few recommendations:

Content should be enhanced: high school students should be required to take 4 years of English, 3 of math, 3 of science, 3 of social studies, and 1/2 year of computer science. Higher standards should be introduced and all students should be expected to meet them. Students should spend more time focusing on school; both in school and outside of school. This means increasing the productivity of the school day and/or increasing the length of the school day as well as increasing the amount of homework students complete. There should be high standards for teachers as well. Not just anybody should be allowed to become a teacher. They should receive more money, their contracts should be 11 months, they should be offered incentives. Schools need to have better leadership starting with the government and going down to the principals and superintendants as well as the school board.

If we all work together we will have the ability to take our nation from being at risk to being a key player in the world. || I feel as though this article is sort of old, but everything they are saying in it are reflections of what still needs to be done today. Although we have created standards and supposedly have raised them for individuals to meet, which was part of the recommendations. This article was intense. There are so many problems with our educational system, and it basically outlines all of them. It's nice to hear about all of the problems and I'm glad that we have spent time pointing them out. Lets see if we can actually create a solution to them. ||
 * Whitehead Evan || This article puts forth the idea that America is so complacent that it is entering a declination period, much like ancient Rome, and that educational reform is the key to stopping this. This study, done in the 1980's, brings up points about the adult illiteracy rate, in addition to projections made about the average American's dedication to learning, mostly coming to the conclusion that apathy has overridden the average American's desire to live up to their potential.

Part of the potential solution offered in the article involves enticing the best possible teachers. True at the time of the article as well as now, many of the best school teachers go to private schools, where the pay rate is more appreciable, though impact on society is lessened. The atmosphere in America is mostly that teachers at public schools are people who failed to find work elsewhere. The article suggests that by increasing pay rates and benefits, public schools can bring in worthier teachers, attacking the risk at its source.

Ultimately, the basic premise of the article is that the average American does not care enough about education, which only weakens America itself as a world power, democracy, and nation of intelligent human beings. || Despite being written about twenty years ago, it's hard to argue that it's not still true. It's pretty easy to see that the patterns being monitored in this study have continued to this day, and public school teachers are making as little money as ever (bearing inflation in mind).

As I brought up in the abstract, it seems like a lot of the points here could be boiled down to apathy. People don't care enough about reading to keep doing it, and some never even bother to learn. People look down on the school teacher, joking about them on sitcoms and in social situations. The basic need for education in America has been supplanted by the sense that it's not intelligence and study that made America great, but rather empty-headed effort and some manner of unquantifiable "drive," which we obviously don't have anymore either.

In any case, the article was obviously a drop in the bucket, since the statistics and scare tactics haven't exactly gotten people talking about these issues who weren't already. ||
 * Wyman Sara || A Nation At Risk: The Imperative of Educational Reform was a report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education on the Unites States educational system and how it needs to be improve. The study, done in the 1980’s, reported that education in our society was eroding from mediocrity that was threatening the future of our Nation. The Risk is that we live among well educated and strong competitors. We are falling behind other countries because our educational foundation is breaking apart, due to the many conflicting demands placed on our teachers and schools. The article went into the different indicators of the risk and different hopes and frustrations of our nations people. The Commission of Excellence defined excellence in a few different ways in terms of the individual learner, school or college, and society, saying that all three need to be committed to achieving excellence. The article suggested that in order for education reform to occur we need to create a learning society, where educational opportunities are extended beyond classroom walls and into every place where an individual can develop. There are numerous tools at hand and if these materials are used it will create opportunities and choices for everyone to learn. Before the article presented all its recommendations it demanded the commitment of all of society in order for these recommendations to be successful. The Commission recommended a strengthening of content, more rigorous and measurable standards and higher expectations, more time spent on actual learning, improving teacher preparation and respect for the profession, and lastly, holding educators and officials responsible for providing leadership for achieving these reforms. With all that said, they made special comment to parents and students and a final plea to all to implement their recommendations. || I thought a lot of the information was out of date, considering this research and article was written in the 80’s. I do still believe that our Nation’s education system is at risk in a lot of ways but I feel we have improved since this article was written; possibly even because of the article. No Child Left Behind is a perfect example of the article recommendation of holding educators and officials responsible for leadership in achieving reformation. Overall, I though the article was pretty good and brought up some good points. I also thought it was very outdated and needed to be revamped in order to be relevant for out time. One part that I thought would be everlasting was the word to the students. This paragraph suggested that the students themselves are the only ones fully in charge and capable of changing their futures. By putting in more effort and working to their full capacity, they will create their own futures and “control their destiny.” ||