Discussion: Education-Related Issues—Narrowing the Topic

When thinking about issues impacting education today, I thought of bullying, high stakes testing, and technology use in and outside of the classroom.  After furthering my reading and researching the three topics, I realized that my topics were too broad.  I had to narrow my focus.  I had to ask myself what bothered me most or what did I have a connection with in each topic.

Bullying is a violent behavior that occurs when a person or group of people disturbs or threatens the safety and health of others both physically and psychologically, threatens one's property, reputation, or social acceptance and is carried out repeatedly and continuously (Bernard & Milne, 2008).  On April 20, 1999, America was shocked by the first massive school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.  Then there was the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 12, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.   It seemed as though school shootings were happening more and more creating a numbness across America.  It was these incidents that led to states drafting and passing anti-bullying laws.   Recognizing that this topic is still too broad; I had to narrow the focus even more.  Bullying has become a worldwide problem and is experienced by thousands of children every day (Carney & Marrel, 2001).  In a study conducted by on 1,588 third through fifth graders who completed a survey regarding their perceptions of bullying in schools the key findings were that 40 % of third through fifth graders reported being bullied, while girls reported being victims of bullying more often than boys.

In recent years, bullying has grown and been found prevalent in many schools across the United States of America.  It has moved from mass shootings to children taking their own lives due to bullying experiences.  I recalled the story of a 9 year old African-American fourth grade girl in Alabama committing suicide because of the bullying she endured from her classmates.  It was this headline that assisted me in narrowing this topic and refining my research even further.  

Problem One

                                                                                                    Suicide on the Rise Among Youth in the United States of America

All children have the right to a free public school education and should be able to attend schools without the fear of being bullied or harmed; however, recent studies indicate suicide as the second leading cause of death for teens.  It is also noted that the suicide rate for African-American children ages 5-12 is two times higher than that of Caucasian children (Christensen, 2019). To address this problem, this study will investigate leading causes of bullying among elementary students grades 2-4.  Based on the findings, schools will be asked to lead bullying prevention seminars for faculty and staff and develop anti-bullying campaigns for student awareness.

References

Christensen, J. (2019, October 14). Suicide attempts by black teens are increasing, study says. CNN Health. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/health/black-teen-suicide-attempts-study/index.html

Kevorkian, M. Rodriguez, A., Earnhardt, M., Kennedy, T., D’Antona, R., Russom, A.,…Borror, J. (2016). Bullying in elementary schools. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. 9(4), 267-276. doi: 10.1007/s40653-016-0085-0

Kustanti, E. R., Rahmandani, A., & Febriyanti, D.A. (2020). Bullying experience in elementary school students. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24:1, 1507-1517. doi:10.37200/ijpr/v24i1/pr200248.

Sameer Hinduja & Justin W. Patchin (2019) Connecting adolescent suicide to the severity of bullying and cyberbullying, Journal of School Violence, 18:3, 333-346. doi:  10.1080/15388220.2018.1492417

As fourth a grade English language arts teacher, I understand the pressure of high stakes testing on students, parents, and teachers.  High-stakes tests are defined as an assessment used to draw conclusions on the performance of students, educators, schools, or districts for the purpose of accountability (High-stakes test, 2014). High stakes testing is the norm, since the implementation of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Munoz, 2014).  Students and parents are concerned because of the retention policy that is tied to high stakes assessments, and teachers are concerned with the ratings given to them due to student performance on one test.  In furthering my research, the following cons are associated to high stakes testing: forces educators to teach to the test, promotes a narrow academic program, contributes to higher rates of cheating, and correlates to increased failure rates in minority groups.  It is also noted that school accountability is controversial as well due to the burden of student performance placed on teachers. When considering this topic and attempting to narrow the focus, I recalled a significant event that took place in Atlanta, Georgia.  This was the largest cheating scandal in U.S. history where 11 educators were found guilty for their involvement in a standardized test cheating scandal.   From this research surfaces problems two and three. 

Problem Two

Minority Youth: Bearing the Burden of High Stakes Testing

After the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, all states were required to annually assess children using a high stakes assessment that should track academic progress and assist teachers in identifying individual student’s strengths and weaknesses.  However, high stakes assessments negatively affect minority students and increase the achievement gap.  To address this issue, this study will investigate the impact of high stakes testing on third and fourth grade elementary students at a minority school.  Based on the results, the school will implement a student test preparation class, conduct quarterly informational meetings for all learners and parents, and provide teacher professional development opportunities for understanding how to differentiate classroom activities to appeal to all learners.

References

High-stakes test. The Glossary of Education Reform. (2014, August 18). Retrieved from  https://www.edglossary.org/high-stakes-testing/

Jones, M.G. & Ennes, M. (2018, February 22). High-stakes testing. doi: 10.1093/OBO/9780199756810-0200. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Munoz, R. (2014, December 4). High stakes testing pros and cons. Education.com. Retrieved from  https://www.education.com/magazine/article/high-stakes-testing-pros-cons/

Serna, G. R. & Woulfe, R. (2017). Social reproduction and college access: current evidence, context, and potential alternatives. Critical Questions in Education. 8(1) 1-16. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1129434.pdf

Problem Three

High Stakes Testing Pressure: Teacher Accountability and Teacher Retention

In an educational era of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an increased focus on accountability and student performance should lead to improved school leadership, academic excellence, and teacher motivation.  However, the emphasis on accountability and high stakes assessments are increasing teacher turnover, burnout, and ethical decision making.  To address this problem, this study will investigate the leading causes of losing educators in the teaching profession and question ethical processes.  Based on the findings, district supervisors and principals will plan and implement professional development meetings and professional learning communities to ensure educators or organized and prepared to meet the needs of the various learners within their school setting.

References

Blinder, A. (2015, April 1).  Atlanta educators convicted in school cheating scandal.

New York Times. Retrieved from  https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/us/verdict-reached-in-atlanta-school-testing-trial.html

FairTest. Reports: high stakes testing hurts education. Retrieved from  https://www.fairtest.org/reports-high-stakes-testing-hurts-education

Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L. & May, H. (2016, May). Do accountability policies push teachers out?.

Educational Leadership. 73(8), 44-49. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.