Standardized Test Preparation
Steve Dawson
1Recent discussions regarding standardized test preparation for students in this district have hardened into two antagonistic positions. For the past six months, debate has raged between supporters of a longer school day—with the extra ninety minutes tacked on used exclusively for test tutoring—and opponents of this proposed measure. Opponents claim that extending the school day will cost too much money. They propose, instead, that students who need extra preparation be tutored during the school day; time for tutoring would come from “non-essential” classes, such as art, music, journalism, drama, or physical education.
2At the risk of being reviled by all sides, I see merit in both positions. I agree with the proponents of a longer school day that standardized tests are here to stay. Schools have an obligation to prepare students to excel on state standardized exams. At the same time, I agree with the opponents of this measure: the district's obligation to our students is limited by financial resources. Any fair assessment of the financial resources of the district would conclude that extending the school day for every school places an unrealistic financial burden on the district as a whole.
3I disagree with the argument that tutoring can take place during “non-essential” classes. To begin with, I strongly resist the label “non-essential.” Education is more than the ability to pass a standardized test; indeed, it is more than the acquisition of knowledge. I believe that education is deeply, intimately concerned with the development of the human person. Students who do not experience the thrill of performing in front of a live audience, the joy of creating poetry, or the satisfaction of strenuous athletic training have been poorly served by the public school system.
4Nationwide, school administrators have wrestled with the problem of raising standardized test scores. One popular solution is the creation of voluntary afterschool clubs to provide tutors and the opportunity to get assistance. The fundamental problem with this solution is that the clubs are voluntary. Students must be enticed to attend these sessions in order to gain any benefits.
5One way to avoid the problems raised by voluntary tutorials is to make these sessions mandatory. This requires either lengthening the school day or removing students from classes deemed “non-essential.” Both solutions, as we have already noted, are flawed. Ingenuity is necessary to resolve this problem. Therefore, I propose the following strategy: This school district should establish partnerships in the private sector. Local businesses, for example, can provide gift cards, movie tickets, and discount coupons to be distributed to students who take part in the voluntary tutorials. By sweetening the pot in this way, more students will be enticed to stay after school and participate.
6I think that this proposal will benefit the community as a whole. With motivation to attend tutorials, higher percentages of students will pass the test. Furthermore, participating businesses will have a return on their investments in the local community. Higher test scores ensure that the district will be regarded as an outstanding educational leader, which will cause existing residents to remain in the community and new residents to relocate to the area to have their children attend a school district that outranks all other districts on state standardized tests. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Which two sentences from the passage clearly express the author's idea of compromise?
Responses
ASchools have an obligation to prepare students to excel on state standardized exams.
Schools have an obligation to prepare students to excel on state standardized exams.
BOne way to avoid the problems raised by voluntary tutorials is to make these sessions mandatory.
One way to avoid the problems raised by voluntary tutorials is to make these sessions mandatory.
CI believe that education is deeply, intimately concerned with the development of the human person.
I believe that education is deeply, intimately concerned with the development of the human person.
DStudents who do not experience the thrill of performing in front of a live audience, the joy of creating poetry, or the satisfaction of strenuous athletic training have been poorly served by the public school system.
Students who do not experience the thrill of performing in front of a live audience, the joy of creating poetry, or the satisfaction of strenuous athletic training have been poorly served by the public school system.
ETherefore, I propose the following strategy: This school district should establish partnerships in the private sector. Local businesses, for example, can provide gift cards, movie tickets, and discount coupons to be distributed to students who take part in the voluntary tutorials.
Therefore, I propose the following strategy: This school district should establish partnerships in the private sector. Local businesses, for example, can provide gift cards, movie tickets, and discount coupons to be distributed to students who take part in the voluntary tutorials.
B One way to avoid the problems raised by voluntary tutorials is to make these sessions mandatory.
E Therefore, I propose the following strategy: This school district should establish partnerships in the private sector. Local businesses, for example, can provide gift cards, movie tickets, and discount coupons to be distributed to students who take part in the voluntary tutorials.