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Why Is A Standards Based Education Problematic? Essay

Decent Essays

Discussion Post #1 Claim: Why is a Standards-based education problematic?
Evidence: Evidence can be found in the textbook titled Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education, Edition Nine.
• The textbook defines a Standards-based education as “an attempt to develop clear, measurable descriptions of what learners should know and be able to do as a result of their education” (Armstrong, et al., 20).
• Elliot Eisner, an education specialist, states that one of the goals of a standards based education is to hold schools accountable (Armstrong, et al., 20). He also suggests that proponents of Standards-based education “Inappropriately view schooling as something like a horse race or an educational Olympics” (Armstrong, et al., 21). This type of curriculum emphasizes competition rather than focusing on the individual student’s unique talents and abilities.
• C. Thomas Holmes also opposes standards-based education, claiming “Standardized test results should be used for identifying areas in curriculum that need improvement, not for holding students accountable” (Armstrong, et al., 21).
Evidence: The Teaching Today, Edition Nine textbook briefly outlines three major proponents of a standards-based education.
• The Shift of Local Control: Traditionally, decisions about schools have been made at a local community level (Armstrong, et al., 21). With a Standards-based education, the local needs are overlooked and decisions are made on a national level. Some argue that this is an

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