Report: Kids less likely to graduate than parents

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the findings of a report indicating that children today are less likely to graduate from high school compared to their parents. Participants explore various factors contributing to this trend, including parental involvement, educational system flaws, societal changes, and the impact of testing and curriculum standards.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the decline in graduation rates may be attributed to a lack of motivation among students, with one arguing that if a child wants to learn, they will learn.
  • Others emphasize the role of parental involvement, noting that parents who allow their children to skip school contribute to the problem.
  • A participant proposes that lowering graduation requirements could be a potential solution, though this idea is not universally accepted.
  • Concerns are raised about the educational system itself, with one participant sarcastically suggesting that government schools should be monopolized and that incompetent teachers should be protected, indicating dissatisfaction with current practices.
  • Another participant points out demographic changes, suggesting that socioeconomic factors and ethnic backgrounds may influence graduation rates, advocating for a more nuanced analysis of the data.
  • Some express frustration with the emphasis on continual testing, arguing that it detracts from actual teaching and learning.
  • A former teacher reflects on the perceived decline in student capabilities over the years, attributing it to societal changes and the pressures of educational accountability measures like No Child Left Behind.
  • Concerns are raised about the effectiveness of current accountability measures, with suggestions for testing some grade levels less frequently to allow for better curriculum organization and teacher training.
  • One participant argues that the problem may lie with teachers who lower expectations, leading to a lack of confidence among students and a failure to engage with the material.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the causes of declining graduation rates, with no consensus on the primary factors or solutions. Some agree on the importance of parental involvement, while others focus on systemic issues within education. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight various limitations in the current educational system, including the impact of socioeconomic factors, the effectiveness of accountability measures, and the role of teacher expectations. These points reflect ongoing debates about educational reform and the complexities involved in addressing graduation rates.

  • #31
Maybe it's just me, but damn it, just make the curriculum harder.

Forces the kids to actually study and forces the teachers to actually know the material.

Instead of some watered down bullcrap education we have in the United States. They're trying to water it down to fit the knowledge and capability of the student. Damn, that makes students slack because they know that the teacher would adjust.

But if we actually made the students study, then there wouldn't be any problems. What can make them study? Harder material.

If they still don't want to study, then that's their problem, they should have fun mopping the floor at the nearby McDonalds.
 
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  • #32
thrill3rnit3 said:
Maybe it's just me, but damn it, just make the curriculum harder.

Forces the kids to actually study and forces the teachers to actually know the material.

Instead of some watered down bullcrap education we have in the United States. They're trying to water it down to fit the knowledge and capability of the student. Damn, that makes students slack because they know that the teacher would adjust.

But if we actually made the students study, then there wouldn't be any problems. What can make them study? Harder material.

If they still don't want to study, then that's their problem, they should have fun mopping the floor at the nearby McDonalds.
I think some schools try to make the curriculum harder but the teachers don't do as told. But yeah, I totally agree.
 
  • #33
Plus kids wanting to get rid of standardized testing is IMO more about them not wanting to prepare for it than them actually figuring out why "it's not a measure of one's true abilities"

puh-leeze. the stuff on the sat is not an 1/8ths as hard as college material.
 

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