We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the high school graduates of the Class of 2014.
Our chosen adjective for this graduating class, proficient, reflects changes made to federal law 12 to 13 years ago, when President George W Bush signed sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind, that required schools to have 100 percent of their students proficient, or at grade level, in reading and math by this year.
The law, seen by many educators as a well-intentioned failure, mandated testing of all children in all schools every year, and it has caused side effects that were not anticipated when a strong bipartisan majority passed the bill in 2001 or when educators began implementing it in 2002. It caused teachers to narrow what they were teaching to what was on the tests, and the roller coaster has continued to spiral downward ever since, with kids learning less and less, especially in schools in impoverished neighborhoods, where charter schools have flourished and public schools have been closed.
This class can teach us something, though. If we can dissociate the tests from the standards of learning, we might help build a stronger future for all students. Yes, NCLB’s changes forced schools to provide better services for students with disabilities. But on both the low and the high end of the achievement spectrum, the law has also been concurrent with significant increases in the amount of stress students report having in their lives and in the amount of stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall, being prescribed for children.
Still, it is with great hope and a message of confidence and optimism that most students graduating with the Class of 2014 will take on the future. To quote the mission statement of Fellowes High School in Pembroke, Ontario:
We the staff of Fellowes High School in partnership with students, parents, and the community are committed to sharing responsibility for student learning and well being. Our mission is to equip students with the literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills needed to meet the challenges of the future with optimism, confidence, and passion. Through high expectations and working collaboratively we will encourage all students to focus on learning, to respect all people and the world around them, and to take responsibility for their own success.
Although test scores and magazines like US News & World Report have a tendency to rank schools, an activity that gets an inappropriate amount of play from politicians, what goes on in our schools is more about students reaching deep within themselves to find their own unique greatness. High schools great and small have delivered diverse and wonderfully varied experiences to young people, and now the world awaits to see where they’ll take those experiences in the coming years. One thing’s known for sure, though: Each high school is only as good as each student made it, and it was different for one kid than for any other.
For kids, as for states and schools, it’s not so much about being better than others but rather about living up to one’s own potential. With all the nearly meaningless statistics No Child Left Behind has thrown at us, I think this class, more than any before it, has shown us that high schools are what each student makes of them, not in the least based on how they compare to others on some limited assessment of students’ knowledge and understanding.
Best wishes to the Class of 2014! And thank you for the lessons!
