High School Students : Common Core And College And Career Readiness

Challenges Faced by Hispanic Students in American Schools and How Schools Can Address Identified Needs

The American College Testing (ACT), 2010 concluded that a large number of high school students and high school graduates do not possess the knowledge and skills for college level work or career training. With the creation and implementation of common core standards, states and school districts have a clear set of student expectations to target

While standards and assessments tell us whether students are gaining the skills and knowledge they need, accountability systems say that if they aren’t, schools and districts have to take steps to improve. This expectation of action is critical if we want all students to graduate high school ready for whatever they wish to do next – be it attend college, train for a job that will allow them to support a

Education plays an important role in every person’s future. Not only does it enhance a person’s intellect, but it allows them to discover what they want to become. For the past years, high school students were having trouble graduating and when Texas ranked the lowest in the population that received a high school diploma, the state decided to minimize the amount of exams students had to pass. Although Texas students became successful in graduating, this way of graduating harms the student because they were unable to understand the basics in their education. The reduction of End-of-course exams from fifteen to five and later to three motivate students, but also teaches them that they don’t need to work hard.

The Hispanic population is one of the fastest-growing minority populations in the United States. Despite their growing number and the great strides taken to narrow the academic gap, students learning English as a second language remain among the most educationally disadvantaged groups in the country. Madrid states that, “poor academic achievement of Latino students is indicative of a complex, multifaceted problem that must be addressed because as the Latino student population continues to grow, their poor achievement especially in mathematics and reading has significant implications not only for California’s public educational system, but also for the state’s and nation’s social, political, and economic future.”(2011). Schools across the country, both those that have served Hispanic students for many years and those that have new and growing populations, must take steps to improve the likelihood that Hispanic students reach the same high standards expected of all students.

Since the 1990’s however, there has been a 33% increase in the number of Hispanic Students enrolling in STEM programs. This does not mean that they necessary complete their degree, as Hispanics more likely to drop out of the program or university than their white counterparts. It used to be that one required a formal collegiate education in order to enter the STEM field, but more and more STEM students are entering the field through the completion of IT technical programs, or certificate programs. Hispanics have been taking advantage of this easier pathway into STEM careers, as 24 % of all STEM technical certificates were earned by Hispanics in the 2009-2010 school year. Unfortunately, the percentage of STEM degrees earned by Hispanics experienced

The graph above illustrates the graduation rate of high school students among the Hispanic community. It depicts that during the early 1990’s the graduation rate among hispanics was extremely low, with only at least 61% of students graduating just from high school. It displays that students among the age of 18-24 had a low probability of graduating, and this continued between 1994 and 1996, where the percentage of high school graduates dropped below 61%.

With 145 institutions of higher education including a large number of universities, community colleges, and technical colleges, Texas has a wide array of opportunities for post-secondary study. The number of students served has increased significantly, with the “10 Percent Rule” identified as responsible for particular gains in Hispanic students, female students, and first generation students. When it comes to affordability, the state has attempted to increase financial aid programs in response to growing tuition yet there still remains a significant gap in unmet need. Looking forward, identified issues affecting the higher education environment include affordability, increasing degrees awarded, and addressing the needs of non-college bound

The heightened focus on education equity and adequacy has garnered substantial attention from both policy makers and media outlets. As a result of the spotlight, school finance litigation has forced states to not only change the way they fund schools but to improve and update their states’ assessment and accountability systems. (Griffith, 2005).

Common core cirriculum is a federal program that is pushed by the federal government in order to make standards in the American Education System. Common core damages our children 's education system. Common Core is destroying the American school system by doing the following: pushing standardized tests on students, defunding schools that do not support common core or test too low, and miseducating students on an everday scale.

The article “Use the Common Core. Use It Widely. Use It Well” by William E. (Brit) Kirwan, Timothy P. White, and Nancy Zimpher states that many high school graduates lack the skills needed to enter and succeed at college level courses. Though the writers list much support of Common Core State Standards there is also political resistance and assessment difficulties. Colleges and students are using many unnecessary dollars to bring high school graduates up to college entry level standards. This national problem affects all areas of the country and the cost of not finding a solution to improving student success in college and vocational training could be detrimental to society.

With all the hype about the Common Core State Standards, it’s easy to forget that some states have decided not to adopt the standards–plus, some adopting states are now re-evaluating their decisions. Perhaps one of the biggest arguments against the standards is that “while core curriculum has improved performance in states with traditionally good education systems,” states that have struggled academically wonder if the standards are more a one-size-fits-all pathway instead of a “great equalizing force,” in which the common standards bridge a gap between vocational education and the university pathway.

Supporters claim that treating all students equally will level the playing field, allowing more opportunities for students. Because the curriculum is universal, students’ parents could theoretically pick up and move anywhere in the US and be confident in the fact that their children are not confused or falling behind in school. However, it is just the opposite. The Common Core standards have confused students and their parents through the new methods of computation, writing, and reading. With the percentage of students who move out of state being less than 2%, it is irrational to bind the United’s State’s education system to benefit such a small number of students. Common Core is hard to understand by students and parents alike and only benefits “philanthrocapitalists” (Toscano).

Kathleen Blanco, the 54th governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana, once pointed out that “ Every educated person is not rich, but almost every education person has a job and a way out of poverty. So education is a fundamental solution to poverty.” It is almost gratuitous to say that everyone desires a higher education. And why not? It is perhaps the best way to avoid a life of poverty; a life in which one must struggle to meet the basic necessities of life. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to receive a higher education, especially students living in poverty, who are often forced to live on a day-to-day basis, let alone even think about school. Poverty deprives these students the quality education they are entitled to, thus inhibiting their potential for future success. This predicament has contributed to a widening racial wealth gap that is not only a threat to the individual’s themselves and the economy, but also a significant threat to upward mobility, which is defined as the ability of an individual to climb up the socioeconomic ladder. One particular factor that has and continues to contribute to this widening racial wealth gap is the lack of a college education among these low-income students. More importantly, this lack of college education is the direct result of a poor-quality K-12 education, especially in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. To mitigate the prevalent racial wealth gap, each

Common Core educational programs have been showing up in primary schools all throughout the nation in the past decade; educators and legislators alike saw the need for standardized skill sets among primary school children. Many people will agree that training in certain areas of arithmetic, English and grammar, and history are crucial for success in the modern economy. Despite this agreement, there is an ever-growing divide between parents and legislators on whether or not the programs are helping, or hurting these children.