Week 9 Post 1

When reading Chapter 15, one section that interested me was the discussion about the requirement of high-stakes tests in high schools.  For years, the United States has been trying to raise the standards of high school students to prepare them for college.  High schools offer Advance Placement classes for students who are planning on going to college.  If the student passes the externally scored exam, they will receive college credit for the class.  The thought was that these classes would lead to better thinking except that was not the result they found.  They found that many students who enroll in AP courses do not take the test or fail the exam therefore they do not receive the college credits.  In 2009, 26 US states added the requirement that students must pass a high-stakes test in order to graduate.  In response to this requirement, some people thought they would improve education while other people thought this would destroy learning.  I also fear that the tests will destroy learning because teachers will now teach in order for children to do well on the test.  Instead of teaching students information they will apply to their life, teachers teach students how to memorize the questions that will be on the exam.  Students don’t actually learn, the just memorize what they need to know and then forget it after they take the exam.