K-6 Ideas Could Keep Students From Dropping Out of School Later

In response to It's Elementary: K-6 Ideas Could Keep Students From Dropping Out of School Later By Markeshia Ricks, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala. (MCT)- Education Week

Michigan’s Dropout Prevention Efforts, was an article I read and blogged about during EDU 590. The article addressed how Michigan is trying to keep high school students from dropping out. I responded to that article by stating it starts at the elementary level.

The article, It's Elementary: K-6 Ideas Could Keep Students From Dropping Out of School Later, addresses that very concern. This article stated two Alabama elementary schools are excelling despite their odds.

These school employ strategies such as using data about student performance to make decisions, having teachers mentor each other and collaborate on lesson plans to help them achieve their goal. One of the principals also stated that “the teachers have a standard to live by called the three R's. They stand for rigor, relevance and relationship. That means the schoolwork is challenging, it relates to the lives of the students and the students know their teachers care about their well being.”

If all schools, even ones in low-economical area, had the same vision as the two Alabama schools, students would understand from a young age that dropping out was not an option. They would hold a high regard to their education and understand that they should take advantage of a good thing, education.

At my current school, which is much like the two Alabama schools in demographics, our motto is Riverdale Elementary Students are College Bound. We let students know from day one we have high expectations of them, no matter what their background. We instill in them that if the put their minds to it they can graduate elementary, middle, high school and college.

My principal lives by the word “rigor” and we try to build relationships with our students and parents on a constant basis. I know as a whole we are pushing our students to graduate and when other schools realize it starts at the bottom, great things will happen at the top.

Standardized Testing Fails the Exam by W. James Popham is one of the greatest articles out. I am emailing it to all the teachers and administrators I know. As an educator, I have to agree with the key part of the article which states “If enough educators --and noneducators -- realize there are serious flaws in how we evaluate our schools, maybe we can stop this absurdity.”

Basing what our students have learned in an entire school year on one standardized test does not show if our students have mastered the concepts taught. It proved that our students have mastered how to take a test. All year long, in my district, we are focused on students passing and exceeding on the standardized test that we take each spring. “We have to make sure we AT LEAST cover all the content so the students can be exposed to it.” I can hear my principal say. All awhile I ask myself, “How does this method help my students?” This week we are working on cause and effect, next week compare and contrast, the week after that fantasy versus realism. How do we expect 6 year olds to grasp all of those concepts in the week period that we are teaching them? One can only scaffold and build on prior knowledge so much. Mastering a concept takes time, hands-on experiences and in-depth analysis of that concept. A week to introduce, do an activity or two, assess and then move on to the next concept isn’t enough time.

It is very frustrating as a teacher to have this over-barring test lurking in the darkness as the only form of accountability to my effectiveness as an educator. The sad part is that when all the weight it put on a test, it leads to cheating, which many teachers have been found guilty of.

The saddest part is through of this testing, students are the one getting the short end of the stick.

Most 2-Year College Students Never Finish

The article “Study: Most 2-Year College Students Never Finish” by Associate Press states that California State University would make it easier to transfer from community colleges into their schools because transferring might be part of the reason students don’t graduate. Maybe they should consider the amount of money it cost to transfer from a community to a state school.

Most of the students I know who attend a community college do so because of the cost. They don’t have to take out any loans and can pay out of pocket. Also they feel like there is no need in wasting a bunch of money if they decide college is not longer for them. The cost of college was definitely a factor for me. My alma mater wasn’t my first chose in universities but they were on giving up the financial aid so where there.

Now that the economy is bad, I’m pretty sure that money is and has been a deciding factor for many students. Maybe instead of universities making it easier to get in, they should make it easier to stay in. They could lock you in at your enrollment rate. As long as you finish your degree within a certain time period (depending on the degree), you are guaranteed that price.

Instead many universities increase their tuition every year, which makes it hard to stay.
If we want to make higher education available to more students so that we can continue to compete at a global level, cost of higher learning should definitely be considered on a national level.

Week 1- OMG

Wow, the first week of class and I have already learned so much. Before this course the only web resource I’ve used is the blog, which was new to me before this cohort. I’m really looking forward to gaining much more knowledge and using the skills I’ve learned in my own classroom.

Also I finally figured out how to upload my Slideshow Power point to my wiki site. I was very proud of myself since I’ve been trying for a week. I’m having a great time collaborating with my classmates on the group wiki site too; we all have great ideas and having to organize and present them together through the internet is really cool to me.

That’s all for now, Until next time, Be Blessed and PEACE