A Healthy System

Abstract

ANYONE who has visited a health food store recently has probably noticed an emphasis on as an alternative to antibiotics in maintaining good health. Many nutritionists contend that, rather than treating infection, the regular ingestion of probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (the active ingredient in yogurt) keeps the body in condition so that it can fight off invaders. Theory has it that these probiotics - or beneficial bacteria - favorably alter the balance of intestinal microflora, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Traditional medical providers have typically treated the infection after it appears. So, too, have schools. Most students must fall demonstrably behind their peers before the education system intervenes. In education, however, the risk of treatment after the fact is amplified, as there is no single medicine that one can order from the local pharmacy that will make these patients better. Nor is there much agreement concerning which interventions might work best. It is hoped that state standards and their accompanying assessments will allow schools to gauge more regularly whether students are ahead or behind what is expected. And it becomes clearer every day that early diagnosis and intervention - before gaps in learning become too large - are necessary. Remediation for Whom? Before addressing state actions, however, one must acknowledge that all remediation and all needs for intervention are not the same. It might be helpful to consider recommendations made by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to address the issue of students who enter college without the proper preparation. In Benchmarks 2000, Reducing Remedial Education: What Progress Are States Making, SREB contends: There is no typical remedial student. Students enrolled in remedial courses usually have been out of high school for at least a year or just graduated from high school but didn't take a math course their senior year. The key to reducing college-level remedial education is developing policies and practices that reflect an understanding of who needs remedial education and why. Some remedial assistance and courses are essentially unavoidable and are a wise investment. Other remedial assistance is avoidable. State leaders and parents are justifiably angry about paying for remedial programs for problems that could have been avoided. Understanding who needs additional help and what kind of help they need to be ready to begin college-level work is the key to developing policies and practices that will reduce the need for remedial education. (http://www.sreb.org/main/benchmarks2000/remedial.pdf) The SREB report puts remedial students into the following categories: * a student who graduated years ago and needs a refresher course in mathematics or writing; * a recent graduate who completed a college-preparatory curriculum (perhaps receiving good grades) but whose high school did a poor job of preparation; * a recent graduate who did not take a college-prep curriculum in high school and thus was not prepared for college; * a recent high school graduate who completed a college-prep curriculum but earned low grades; and * a recent high school graduate who was planning to go to college but decided not to take a college-prep math course in the senior year. Although these examples pertain to students who need remediation at the postsecondary level, similar situations occur at the K-12 level. Some possible scenarios in K-12 schools might include: * a student spends summer vacation in a home without books, with no one encouraging reading, and has reading skills that need refreshing when he or she returns to school in the fall; * a student transfers from another school or district where the curriculum and standards were not as strong; * a student puts forth minimal effort over several years and demonstrates weak skills because of that lack of effort, not because of ability; * a student has weak teachers in the second and third grades and is behind when he or she enters fourth grade; * a student chooses not to take the core high school curriculum or cannot take higher-level courses because of prior poor performance; and * a student does not attend high school regularly and fails three out of four classes. …