Abstract
Many stakeholders are concerned with the apparent failure of schools to facilitate children achieving at high levels. One explanation of the failure of schools takes a more narrowly focused educational view. In this perspective, the problem is one of inadequate standards and poor teachers. In a second, broadly societal view, the problem of student achievement seems to be a complex societal problem, not easily amendable to strictly educational solutions. The two positions are compared and contrasted. Examples of societal factors affecting student achievement are explored. It is suggested that the broadly societal view provides a better explanation of why students fail to succeed.
Highlights
Background noiseThe T.V. is almost always on.2
The common notion adopted by many proponents of educational “reform” is that the most reliable and accurate appraisal of student learning and teacher performance can be found in standardized tests
In a recent survey of teachers and principals, MetLife (2013) documented the following trends: 1. Only 39% of teachers reported being very satisfied with their jobs
Summary
The issue of the achievement gap, both in international as well as national terms, is seen as a failure of schools. The improvement in subject-specific areas is especially noted in those pursuing secondary certification Even though this data was reported in 2007 (6 years ago), the perception remains that teachers are largely incompetent and lack academic qualifications for the job. This is true, even though admission to college departments of education often requires higher academic and test performance than other degree programs. The common notion adopted by many proponents of educational “reform” is that the most reliable and accurate appraisal of student learning and teacher performance can be found in standardized tests. The narrowly educational view of the problem of student underachievement is, at best, suspect
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