Nov 26, 2008
Research
I attended the Michigan Educational Research Association conference these past two days. I meet other educators like me. These are educators who are not interested in becoming principals. All of the educators at this conference have a common goal of making education better for students. A team of researchers that work for the Oakland ISD have been examining grading in relationship to standards(what the state says you need to know). Oakland county is pretty middle to upper class, Caucasian in ethnic make-up, and has MME scores that meet or exceed state averages in this area. This research team proposes that teachers not use zeros as a penalty for students that do not complete work. In many suburban schools, there are students that can do the work, but choose not do do it and fail. Research shows that these students do not do classwork or homework, but are doing A work on tests and projects, therefore they know the standards and should not fail. This team of researchers proposed that teachers should not give students zeros for missing work. the teachers should issue half credit. Half credit is still failing the assignment, but it is a cushion that will help the student obtain credit for this class. However, my own research proves that this will not work in an urban or rural school. These schools often have students that are behind several grade levels when they enter the school. Teachers give assignments as independent practice to help students catch up and meet standards. Unlike suburban schools, when students in urban or rural schools do not do work, they can't do the tests or projects, therefore they do not meet standards. We had so many failures due to missing work last year, that I implemented the ZAP program to give students a chance to recover missing work and grades without penalty. I am in the process of collecting my data from the first semester to see how the program is going. As a student, what do you think of this research? In your paragraph response, include your feelings about missing work, meeting standards, and the what is proposed by me and the Oakland County researchers.
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16 comments:
For (1): I disagree with the fact that teachers give us meaning AOI 0's when we are absent, that's not fair. 2: The grading scale is full of crap, flat-out... It was designed to encourage us to do better but for the ones who aren't exceeding, it only encourages them to not do anything at all.3: I do like the Zap Room, it allows us a chanmce to catch up on missing work or extra time to study for exams and or tests. It feels as if you "teachers" are trying to help us in many ways, but you go about it the wrong way and it ends up hurting us than helping us.
I would have to believe that the school systems in many other schools besides the Academy Of Inkster has more of a failing system than passing system. I say this because of how the school, teachers and staff members go about with students who are struggling, missing work, or those who even transferred to the school and doesn't know where they should start because maybe they started as a faster or lower rate than our school and needs to be adjusted. Another thing is that teachers don't really bother to tell you that you're missing work or if you're absent and come back, they don't bother to tell you about the missing work that you missed the other day until the last minute before report cards come out. Doing this would make the student's work rate go down even more and I would think that the grading scale is also makes it hard to achieve great things at many schools because they may try to push us hard, but they're not helping us try and achieve harder. This is why I don't like the school system and the way it works. I know they said that students need to be independent and try and handle things on our own, but sometimes we need a little help or a push if we're behind and still trying our best.
I dnot like our grading scale because it may be somewhat determined to fail. But in someways it is suposssed to be made to motivate students to work harder, but students who are not use to working harder will probably fail. And in the suburban schools students dont have to learn to a hard grading scale, They get a chance to learn to a grading scale that gives them the chance that works at their own pace. So most students in the surburban areas or schools meet certain grading standrads. Appose to our school which we as students have to meet the high standards that are failing most of its students. And that is because of the new grading scale.
I feel that urban and rural schools should implement what suburban schools are doing in their schools. I don't agree with many things that rural schools are doing with their students. They are only proving the point that the school systems are designed for the students to fail. For example, in urban schools they give zeros when students are absent or when they do not complete an assignment. That is not fair. If you want students to meet high standards, why are you failing them because they aere absent? You don't know the circumstances of why they were not there. A second example is how teachers are not patient with their students. Teachers get attitudes and are very irritated when students do not understand the work. Their excuse for not wanting to re-explain the work is that yhe student was not paying attention. That has nothing to do with nothing. It is your job to help us succeed in life. If not then, what are you here for? Stop it with the excuses, and DO WHAT YOU ARE BEING PAID TO DO!
I feel that in urban and rural schools, they do not give you an advantage or the opportunity to catch up to the required standard of education that they need. I feel that they implement a standard that cannot be met at a specific time limit, student then fail and do not excel academically as they should. The higher the standards, they require us reach that standard but the grading scale is designated for us to fail. If a student is missing work or something for that nature, teachers should not catch attitudes or feel it's not their duty to help the student maintain the grades that they desire. THEY ARE PAID to do the job of teaching, stop acting as if you can come in and be snappy and snitty towards the students that need help with work so they can pass.
I do not agree with giving the students 0's because we were absent. The zap room does really help ALOT. It is a way of showing that you as "teachers" really do care about weather or not we pass and will do anything to help us do so. In all reality the grading scale is unfair and pushing us to fail and give up. We do appreciate that you believe that we are able to do better but in all reality some of us are trying as hard as we know how and are not able to meet your standards. We as students need the extra push/help but we do not want to fail.
I feel the same as Shanaye' just because somebody is absent you should not hold that against them and give them a zero. You guys might not even know the case why we are absents. I think that bull. And the prading scale... dont get me started. I think that was an uneducated decision and if you see its not working maybe its time for a change. Zap on the other hand was a good decision it allows students to get help when its needed.
I feel that the ZAP program we are using now is really good, cause some students miss school and have no time to make up the stuff they missed. With ZAP they get a chance to ,make it up on your own time, and still get help from your teacher. ZAP in my opinion is a great program. The whole half credit thing isn't really going to work, because then students just fail and they still don't improve, cause most students still won't do the work.
I feel our teachers shoulldnt give us 0 when we are absent from school. What if a family member pass or someone is sick for 2 weeks. If that person doesnt come to school they jus have a F. Theres no way possible if a student miss a week or two of school because of a sickness or family issue they are going to be able to make up that work. So i agree with the suburban school system when people are absent give them half credit. Iys students personal choice to meet the standards because if they took the time out to study and pay attention they would meet the city and state standards.
To me i fell that the decision made at aoi about the grading scale and everything else going on is full of bull. Altough the zap room is good for the students here, so why cant every school do something for the students thats not pasiing their classes. And all this MME and AP test isnt helping at all. its just putting us through more pressure in this time of learning.
I feel that the research that wrote about that Oakland county came up with DUMB, and in reality it hurts the student more than it helps a student. If you tell a child that all they have to do is show up and you will get by, by getting half credit on an assignment, they will think that half stepping is the way through life. They are not enforcing the whole "HARD WORK" thing of life.
Now, for the AOI grading scale and ZAP THING. I feel that the grading scale is harder than the grading scale that we might be used to, but it actually teaches you responsibility, hard work, and it challenges you. In order to get that grade you want you have to put your best foot forward and stay focused. "There is such thing as an EASY A". It also helps you prepare for ACT, MME etc. It gets you thinking outside the box, preparing you for whatever educational obstical that may come your way.
For the ZAP idea I think that it was a GREAT program to start her at AOI. It gives you that sense, that the whole "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" is being enforced.
I disagree with most of my classmates. I do not feel that the AOI grading scale is designed for us to fail. Unless you have doubts about yourself, excelling academically then I dont see what the problem is. Life is not always going to be handed to you, if you want something you have to work for its not all "MADE IN THE SHADE".
If you think that your teachers have attitudes and are not being far, wait until you enter the real world. There are going to be people who treat you much more worse than what one or two of your teachers. Get a grip on life. You have to work for what you want and thats just reality. Your teachers are not against you they are onlyd trying to make you better than what you might be, there is always room for improvement. Take it or Leave it. Its you LIFE!!!!!!!
First of all I feel that students from urban schools face some of the same problems suburban schools face. I don't feel that it is a black or white thing I feel that it is the students failing there self. What students don't understand is that it is not the teachers job to remind them to ask for there work if they were absent its theres. If you miss an assighnment its not there job to remind you.Another thing that has helped benifit the school was the ZAP Room. I feel that the program is going to change the school.
Now all schools are different and here at mine the grading scale is different. It is raised to challenge us so we can be the best we can be. With this program it seems like the teachers want the best for the students. As Asley says "that the research that wrote about that Oakland county came up with DUMB" and I agree with her 100%.If you just let students scrape by thats what you are teaching them to do when they go into the real world. So to sum it all up people can RESEARCH all they want, but what they have to realize is you can bring a horse to the water but you can't make him drink.
I believe the ZAP program is a great idea to help students, but also at the same time, some students don't want to be helped. This is sad. I believe that if a student shows continues to show no effort in school, the school should drop them. While at the same time our school is "money hungry" they will keep the students who show no effort because they need the money for the school. I once heard a quote from a teacher at this school "I would rather teach a couple of students who want to learn, than a class where majority doesn't want to learn. If you have students in a class that don't want to learn, they become a distraction to the students who do want to learn. Also students learn several different ways. Some students tend not to learn the way "the state requires" which is not fair to them.
I agree with Ryan. Students need to stop looking at the ZAP program, and the raised grading scale as a negative obstacle. It is used to help us reach our full potential. Although in suburban school areas they do have more resources to help their students reach their potential. Which in my opinion it gives students the mind-set that I have these resources I need to use them to my advantage, and it also has to do with the household you are brought up in. If you have a family that is no involved in your educational success then you won’t be either. While again this is my opinion
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