Reflection 1

Final Reflection: Bridging the Achievement Gap

Jody McGraw Bridging the Achievement Gap Jessica King & Rich Robles March 15, 2012

Reflection 2

I never knew anything else. I never knew there were different types of schools. I never knew there were methods and techniques to the way I was being taught. I never knew there were lotteries and lines just to get into a better school.1 It wasnt until I hit college that I realized my educational experience was different from my peers. What I had considered normal my entire life wasnt what was normal to anyone else. I soon realized that the educational system that I thought was uniform across the nation- wasnt really uniform at all; that there are hundreds of different educational systems in our American classrooms, each with their own successes and failures. Somehow, someway each of us students at the University of Cincinnati had made it there- something right happened in our educational past to get us to where we stand today. And not everyone made it. Not everyone was as lucky as us. Not everyone had the support, encouragement, resources, teachers we had that makes the difference. Very soon I will completely dedicate my life to fixing that- to patching the gap between the educational systems of America- in many ways I have already started. There is no one answer, one solution, one quick-fix to solve the problem of the educational quality and equality in America. This isnt a one-size-fits all kind of issue after all, America is not a one-sizefits all kind of country. It is impossible to know the experience other students have in other schools; everything from the lunchroom to the classroom, the extracurriculars to the extra credit. It impossible to relive the 13 years of homework, tests, dances, and friends of elementary school, middle
1

https://blackboard.uc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tabGroup=courses&url=%2Fwebapps %2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fcontent_id%3D_6445724_1%26display Name%3DLinked%2BFile%26course_id%3D_8978591_1%26navItem%3Dcontent%26attachmen t%3Dtrue%26href%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.diigo.com%252Fuser%252Frichrobles%252 Flottery

Reflection 3

school, and high school. Your school life is something you can only experience once. But that is not to say that the unique experience each of us had during our education cannot help us understand and relate and commiserate with the experiences of others. In fact the uniqueness of our school journey is what makes each of our opinions in the debate on American education so valuable. What has made us some of the successful, some of the high achieving, some of the ones who made it to the college. It is not the easiest of roads to get to this point, there are loads of hard work and piles of paperwork but through the good graces of the resources we were given through that journey we made it to the next step. It is crazy to think about how early our personality, our intelligence, our future begins to be shaped. This is another concept that I was not fully aware of before I came to college. But now that I have realized it, I am able to relate so many items and quirks of my personality and behavior to my earliest of years. The class discussion of natural growth and concerted cultivation really piqued my interest and really made me take a look back into my own childhood.2 While it was clear through both the reading and the discussion that the American society places more of a value on concerted cultivation than natural growth, that it was that concerted cultivation that guaranteed success; that ensured intelligence. However, when I look back to my own rearing I see remnants of both types. While I obviously remember my mother being there with me, guiding me, teaching me in my early life- I dont really know how much of it was structured or intended to be purposeful. Many times I was left to my own, allowed to play on my own. I pride myself on having an extremely vivid imagination- a skill I say, with all
2

Tough, P. (2009). Whatever it takes: Geoffrey Canadas question to change Harlem and America. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.(pp. 21-52)

Reflection 4

confidence, came from my many hours playing Barbies or house alone. Is not creativity and independence an important skill? Many would argue they are, but they do not receive the proper value when society is judged on test scores and standardization.3 Luckily I take tests well; but what I that were not the case, it was not that my parents didnt have the resources or time to practice concerted cultivation- they just didnt and honestly I think Im fine without it. this knowledge and awareness however, has created in me a further desire to understand and relate to those around me, recently I have been able to point out the difference in traits myself and my roommates all based on the way we were initially raised. The values and morals and ethics that are placed in a child in the early years of their life become a part of them, an identifying factor, a nonnegotiable characteristic for the rest of their life. As I have said multiple times, and will probably say many more, I view my life as boringly normal with my school years being exceedingly normal- but as I stated before, what really is normal? For me it was 13 years spent in the same school district. 13 years spent in five schools. 13 years spent doing my homework, taking my tests, and getting As. That was my life in Tallmadge, Ohio. I never questioned what I was being taught, I never seriously struggled with any of the material, and I never knew how good I had it. My school district was split into five separate schools, kindergarten and first grade paired together, second and third grade, fourth and fifth grade in another, then middle school was sixth, seventh, and eighth, and High School all the rest. This format has since changed due to budget cuts and financial restraints. We had a new high school built when I was a sophomore- so two years were spent at the old and two at

Syverson, S. (2007). The role of standardized tests in college admissions: Test-optional admissions. New Directions for Student Services, 118, 55-70.

Reflection 5

the new. This too was a financial disaster and carried controversy around my small town. Everyone I went to school with was white with similar socio-economic backgrounds as I, we were the children of the wealthy; there were a few African American students but they generally kept to themselves, there were few students of lower economic status but they kept to themselves as well.4 Excellence was expected in my school district in all ways: academics, athletics, the band, the test scores, the robotics competitions- everything.5 Large banners hung around the schools announcing someones achievements and, although not out rightly stated, your own failures. Competition was valued, highly valued. Thinking back the environment may not have been ideal for fostering and encouraging creative growth and maturity but, then again, that doesnt matter the Ohio testing board; and our traditional got us the scores. While it may sound as though I am putting down my school district, well I guess I am but, I enjoyed every second I spent in school, I loved school and I probably could have gone to any school district in the country and still loved school. But the discussions we had in class opened us up to the idea that not everyone is like us and while my good student nature can succeed in the school environment in which I was raised, Im not sure anyone could, Im not sure everyone did . My traditional upbringing as well as my moms need of a babysitter while she went back to school, landed me in not one but two different preschools. The first of which was located near the University of Akron, where my mom was attending class. I loved this place! It was totally the stereotypical idea of preschool- complete with sand and water tables, art projects, naptime, and the coolest indoor playground. Thinking back on the little I remember of
4

Kozol, J. (2005). Shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in America. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.(pp.39-88). 5 http://www.greatschools.org/ohio/tallmadge/Tallmadge-City-School-District/high-schools/

Reflection 6

my time there, this school encouraged creativity and innovation and thinking like the child you are- or were. The slight memories I have of that place bring back only good thoughts of happy times. This drastically changed when I was pulled from that school to one closer to my house. I hated it. I despised it. I still look at the building with anger and contempt when we drive by. Unlike my first preschool this place had no toys or water tables or art projects at least on a day to day basis. Here, we did worksheets and our naps were taken by laying our heads down on the table. Our teacher was mean; I later learned she had no real training in early childhood education which could possibly counts towards me crying my eyes out in the bathroom at least once a week. There was only one woman at this place, she worked with the younger kids, who could settle me down when I began to cry. It is slightly surprising that I was able to rise from that experience to love school as much as I did when I entered kindergarten. The memories of Kiddie College and Miss. Tina still haunt me to this day and would be considered my worst educational experience ever. Kindergarten and elementary school was a much different experience. I thrived under the school structure; I thrived with more art projects and reading time, and creative ways of learning. I easily became the teachers pet, following them around like a lost puppy, tattling on the kids who were not doing what they were supposed to be doing, crying or freaking out if I ever got in trouble- behaviors that still reappear to this day. This time in my educational life was also when I was first distinguished for the gifted program- I believe we called it gifted enrichment or something like that. Being a part of this program meant you left your normal class maybe once a week to participate in a smaller class focused on logical thinking and concepts like that. We also had reading levels and reading groups in place in my school. This

Reflection 7

typically meant the class would be split into three groups with the teacher taking charge of the two lower groups and the most advanced group would leave the room to go read with the reading specialist. I cannot remember how long I was in this program or what I did as a student in the gifted class, but when I hit fourth grade I was dropped from the program. At that point the program became much more intensive with the student leaving their normal classroom daily to take a different class with the enrichment teacher. Of course I was offended when I didnt get placed in the class, but for the shrinking of my ego I thank Tallmadge City Schools if I had been put into that class I can assure you I would have become the cockiest little student anyone ever would see. Middle school didnt bring many changes to myself academically. In many ways I feel like middle school serves more for the social and emotional of growth of the students rather than the intellectual growth. Learning of course does occur through middle school, but there are multiple facets that create a well-rounded individual, a balanced citizen this includes the social development of students through peer interaction and thus the American school systems have middle school. It may be an indirect result or effect of the institution of middle school, that anywhere a child is as they grow into adolescence and the puberty that comes with it serves that purpose but in general that place has become middle school. My experience was no different it was more, or at least remembered more, as a social experience rather than an educational one. This was the first time extracurricular activities were able to be explored, it was the first time we had dances, and the first time we were given an ounce of freedom.

Reflection 8

My middle school was probably slightly different from others in the organization and structure of our classes. As a sixth grader I went into a school that had two teams per grade. Certain teachers were on one team, the rest on the other. Students would be split into these teams before school started in August and all classes, lunches, whatever else would be done with the teams teachers within the team. In seventh grade they switched the structure of the teams. Instead of four to five teachers being on a team, each teaching one subject, a new team was created of just two teachers. One of the teachers taught math and science, the other social studies and English. I was placed on this team, in both seventh and eighth grade. If I could point out one educational experience that changed me and helped me and made me grow as a person, a scholar, and a leader- this would be it. The memories I have from being on this two teacher team are still as vivid today as if I were still in middle school. While it wasnt ever stated that there was a reason behind the 40 of us being selected to be on this trial, there were clear patterns. Many of us were the high achieving students and many of us had been on the smaller team for both seventh and eighth grade. Unbeknownst to us, the district was watching us- they were probably watching us even through the rest of our time in Tallmadge and they would have seen that many of the students who were in that two teacher team became the leaders and high achieving scholars of high school. When we visited Carson elementary, the structure the teachers were talking about that they put into their classroom reminded me of my time in middle school; the teachers teaching multiple subjects, working close together to create a comprehensive experience not just a

Reflection 9

particular subject.6 From my own experiences I truly believe that collaboration between teachers is an integral part to learning and remembering concepts and topics. The connections between not only subjects but real world experiences create an intelligence over a subject that reaches far deeper than a textbook. The importance of this type of learning has since been stressed in institutions like the University of Cincinnati with the 2019 plan to involve collaborative learning in course work.7 This innovative teaching and learning did not continue through Tallmadge High School. Instead we had block scheduling, two semesters of four classes per day, which allowed for a lot of freedom in the choices of the classes we took, but not much else. They told us as we entered high school that this system was in place to create a more college like atmosphere, an atmosphere I think is necessary for a high school to have to ensure a smoother transition from the dependence of high school to the independence students face in college. However, again due to budget cuts the amount of freedom a student has in selecting their classes has since declined. High school is where I really learned how I learned. I somehow began to understand just how easily concepts came to me. That studying wasnt necessary for me to get decent gradesalthough my work ethic still caused me to study. Nothing sticks out to me as a good or bad moment in my high school life. I went with the flow. If I had a bad teacher, I dealt with it and hoped the semester went by quickly. If I had a good teacher, I basically did the same thing. There was only one teacher in my school that really stood out to me as a good teacher, but I
6 7

Carson Elementary School visit http://www.uc.edu/president/strategic_plan.html

Reflection 10

think that was because all of them were mediocre- they all cared about you, they all taught you something, they just werent spectacular. I want to be a spectacular teacher. I want to be challenged and pushed to my limits- mediocrity is not acceptable. While I sat back and watched and didnt complain or ask questions during my own education, I cannot allow myself to do that as a teacher- I will not allow myself to do that as a teacher. I want to encourage and support an environment where my students understand they, have a chance to make history. 8 The main theme I have pulled away from this class is the importance of collaboration; collaboration in the classroom, collaboration in the workplace, collaboration in life. While I have talked numerous times with education majors about the problems facing our American school systems, talking to a bunch of biology majors and engineers and graphic designers about the same topics give a whole new perspective. The education of Americas children is not an issue to be dealt with by teachers and principals alone, it is a fight that needs to be fought by all Americans. Not to sound too cheesy, but these students are the future of our country, they are my future and they are your future. It is going to take a collaborative effort if the struggle we are facing with not only the achievement gap in America but the achievement gap America is facing globally is ever going to be improved, patched over. Equality in education, let alone anything is not easy to come by, but if all the pressure and strain is pushed onto our schools, nothing permanently good will ever happen.

Kopp, W. A chance to make history: What works and what doesn't in providing an excellent education for all. New York, NY: Pubic Affairs. (pp. 13-38)

Reflection 11

Works Cited Carson Elementary School visit Kopp, W. A chance to make history: What works and what doesn't in providing an excellent education for all. New York, NY: Public Affairs. (pp. 13-38) https://blackboard.uc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tabGroup=courses&url=%2Fwebapps %2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fcontent_id%3D_6445724_1%26display Name%3DLinked%2BFile%26course_id%3D_8978591_1%26navItem%3Dcontent%26attachmen t%3Dtrue%26href%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.diigo.com%252Fuser%252Frichrobles%252 Flottery http://www.greatschools.org/ohio/tallmadge/Tallmadge-City-School-District/high-schools/ http://www.uc.edu/president/strategic_plan.html Kozol, J. (2005). Shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in America. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.(pp.39-88).

Syverson, S. (2007). The role of standardized tests in college admissions: Test-optional admissions. New Directions for Student Services, 118, 55-70.

Tough, P. (2009). Whatever it takes: Geoffrey Canadas question to change Harlem and America. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.(pp. 21-52)