Standards

I specifically focused on the standards for fifth grade so that I could compare the standards to the reality in my school.

My overall reaction is that website is effective in presenting what a typical student should be able to do by June. It was well organized (better than I remember when I used the website in college) and easy to navigate. For parents of a typical child, it is effective in communicating the flow of learning from grades K-12, the well roundedness of a public education, and an understanding that schools not only teach skills and concepts, but also focuses on helping the children to grow as productive members of society.

However…

Parents of atypical children may feel frustrated by these standards—that their child ISN’T accomplishing what is expected. These parents might feel angry—why didn’t my child’s teacher teach them _________? Lastly, these standards may point out to these parents how very different their children are from their same-age peers.

The same is true for the teachers. Teachers of typical children probably like the guidance the standards provides, as it helps to structure the school year. The standards also help teachers understand what prior knowledge the students should have, and what they should know/be able to do before the next school year. The vagueness of the standards empowers teachers to have flexibility in their classrooms as far as HOW to teach a concept, and how long it should take.
And for teachers of atypical students? I’m never going to get to that topic (for me—probability in math, consistency of voice in writing)! Am I going to get in trouble if I don’t introduce that concept to my class? Should I move onto the next topic even though the majority of my class hasn’t mastered the current one?

The solution: Standards should be called “Guidelines” instead. I know…what’s in a name…but it matters! A guideline GUIDES us in the right direction, and sounds helpful. I also think that the grade level should be removed, and then the topics should just flow into the next one. This way, it would feel reasonable to go at an appropriate pace for each student. It would remove the intense pressure and competition that standards induce. I don’t think state standards are as useful as national and local standards (or guidelines!!!). National Guidelines would unite the country on general topics, while local standards could focus on topics that are specific and important to growing up and living in that specific area. How could students in a town in Alaska have the same Life Skills curriculum as a town in Florida? Shouldn’t they each be learning skills specific to being productive in THEIR lives?

I think the country would lose educational focus without standards. But I also think we should be permitted take them with a grain of salt…that they’re more of a guideline , and that not ALL students will __________ by the end of grade ____. If American culture prides itself on its members being unique and different, how could we all be held accountable to the same information on the same time schedule?