In regards to the flawed No Child Left Behind system, I would like to point out the feelings of the students in which the program is affecting. It should be no secret that the No Child Left Behind program is not a popular system.
Although No Child Left Behind is a good goal, it is next to impossible to obtain. The standards that are being set for the students of the United States are being set high. Some students are not able to reach these goals for various reasons. A school is only allowed to have a small portion of the students in their school fail – 80 percent must pass during the 2009-2010 school year – or the whole entire school is considered a failing school.
What if a school has a student body population who is primarily ELL, or special education? Should these schools be punished for having a diverse culture? I think not. However, instead of being accepting of the students who lack the knowledge necessary to pass the standardized tests No Child Left Behind assigns, the students are in a way punished. Some of the students who are failing the standardized tests are actually very smart. The pace they learn at is just slower because of the lack of English they know. Failing the test does not mean they can’t grow up to be smart and successful. They just tend to learn at a slower pace because they are learning a new language.
In some elementary schools around the country, they have had to eliminate the things considered “unnecessary.” These “unnecessary” eliminations include recess, P.E. classes, art classes, music classes and computer classes. When I was in elementary school, these subjects were the highlight of nearly every student’s day. If a student were to miss a class it was due to wrongful behavior, and they were being punished.
What happened to a student’s grade being private? How must a young child feel to know that everyone in their whole entire school knows that they failed their test? Everyone would know who was forced to skip recess or their special classes. I know I would have felt pretty horrible. The self-esteem these children have is probably decreasing by the day.
And yet, the only concern is to pass a standardized test?
Marie Fin
Lincoln
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