Educational Origami

I don’t have a problem with standards and I suspect most of us don’t have a problem with standards either. I use standards all the time whether they are standards of behaviour, standards of dress or in fact educational standards.

Educational standards provide a platform for equity, a target to work to and beyond, a framework to scaffold learning from.

I don’t have a problem with reporting either. I believe the relationship between school and home is vital and the reporting system we currently have is the opposite of 21st century educational goals of transparency, timely and appropriate feedback.

I do however, have a number of problems with the potential outcomes of the implementation of national standards.

I am troubled in the first instance that standards of learning are set against age, with the expectation that each child at this age will be measured and judged against these criteria. This fails to take into account that children mature and develop differently. It fails to account for the differences between boys and girls.

I am concerned that whether intended or not, the graphing of the child’s performance against a bench mark criteria of “normal” performance will have children condemned irrespective of their actual learning. For the struggling child who has made huge progress forward, who is striving to reach their potential but falls below the benchmark for their age, they are judged by this standard not by their actual learning. For the unmotivated and unengaged student who scores well above the bench mark will be marked as achieving or succeeding while they are well below their potential. This is not accurate or appropriate feedback.

I am concerned that education will become a competition, with Johnny measured against the illusionary milestone of achievement for cohort.

I am concerned about normal distribution and the bell shaped curve creeping in. A standard does not conform to the bell shaped curve.

I am fearful that the next step we may see is national testing. That the scourge of NCLB may visit us. That we may see education and learning in schools focusing wholly on achieving good scores or standards rather than fostering creativity. This is the sad reality of many schools in America. Where the focus of  a year’s learning is achieving at the national standard at the cost of so many other educational endeavours.

I am worried for those children’s whose talents do not lie in the academic realms of the 3R’s Readin, Riting & rythmatic will be ostracised, marked as failures and not recognised for the talents and diversity they have.

I am frightened that these tests will be used to form a league table measuring schools. In NCLB failure to reach certain levels results in reduced funding, sanctions and in some case closure. The same could happen here with selection of schools based on performance to inaccurate standards tied inaccurately to the perception that a “normal” child can do this by this stage of their school career.

I am concerned that this increased loading on teachers will hamper teaching and learning and make teaching less attractive. That other activities will be sacrificed, that the focus may change from the whole person – well rounded, balanced, inquiring, questioning, curious, imaginative, creative, analytical and evaluative – to a more singular purpose of achieving against the national standard or god forbid mean.

BUT YES I SUPPORT STANDARDS

I want to know that my children have reach this standard or that, not that they are in 95th percentile for the country. I want clear statements that detail what my child can or can’t do – these are standards. I want to know whether they are focused, engaged and motivated or struggling, bored or out of their depth. I want to know the progression of levels that my child’s learning would progress through as they mature as a learner, I need to know where they are in that progression and if they are in need of support and assistance or challenge and extension (or even both).

But I don’t need to know they are at 30% compared to the norm. I don’t want a report that condemns them as poor, below average, an under achiever or dumb.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10604965