Karp discussed about AYP or “adequate yearly progress” which is the formula to measure the progress of the schools and students basis on the application of standardized test in order to improve education and to charge more liability to all schools, thus the schools receiving federal funds are forced to require for all students to take the standardized test and the basis of the students’ test scores evaluate the schools their progress of each year. Indeed, if any schools do not follow this mandated testing, they face a series of sanctions even possible school closure.
In my opinion it is completely wrong to evaluate the schools and the students how they are well-educated only depend on the standardized test scores because only basis on the test cannot measure the potential capacities of each student. So I emphasize that each school should be evaluated depending on how the educational system is well organized to help the students to find out their capacities for their future careers. Thus, the responsibility of school is contributing the enough resources therefore students are able to challenge their interests to discover and improve their potential capacities. But if the evaluation of schools are concentrated basis of the students’ standardized test scores, the schools become obsessed with test scores for being evaluated as the high prestige of school, indeed the teaching method will be concentrated more on the test taking skills and very limited of the teachers’ ability to serve the classes and increasing more students who become the disinterest of the study because of the pressure of the excessive tests. Also the students take more the method of learning by memorizing than understanding the subjects to pass the tests.
Are you agree that the students can be evaluated their success or fail in school only basis on the standardized test?
Meier discussed that big schools are not always better than small schools only because big schools can offer more specialized programs and protecting the minorities. The costs are higher than small schools and even big schools are created by kids their own small schools which are hold together by same classes or races. I agree that big schools are not always better. I think both have positive and negative side however, the most of parents prefer to send their kids to the big schools because they think that their kids are able to learn more because of the specialized programs that big schools offer them. But I cannot see any differences between the students who graduated in small or big schools. Indeed, I feel small schools have more connection between teachers and students so the teachers easily perceive the students’ concerns and their needs. Therefore, the students can easily follow the classes and adapt the environment of schools.
