Prision

From personal experience, i was a part of a title 1 public school. I know what it meant to notpass these exams and to be a part of a very diverse school. Things that might've sounded good to these politicians didn't feel good to the ones going through it. Words can't express what the students and teachers went through at Hialeah-Miami Lakes. We were one of those low acheiving schools and if it wasn't for the fine arts program we would probably be low in funds. Not only did 40% of 10th graders pass the math and writing FCAT exams, but in the newly implemented science FCAT only 20% of the juniors passed. After failing repeatedly for several years our school feel into what is called the zone school, we stayed an extra hour and a half everyday, our early release days and holidays were taken away, and a forced FCAT class was enforced. This pushed students to continue to learn about an exam that they needed to pass for graduation. I t didn't matter how many hours of community service you did, or how many clubs you were a part of,or even how well you did in your classes...if you didn't pass the FCAT, you didn't graduate. Most of the time students skipped these enforced classes or just didn't pay attention and fall asleep. Our school's attendance rate dropped so much that the administration would bribe students with electronics(that are prohibited in schools) to come. Not only were students switiching out of schools but the high, prestigious teachers of the ap programs, and influential teachers were taking jobs else where. This in turn leaves students with teachers who are in a zone school only for the extra income not for the love of teaching. Instead of listening to the people that should be making the desicions for school and exam changes (students and teachers), you punish them by implementing ridiculous standards that don't make any student smarter. Students learn the material in the exam ONLY, not important information about whats going on in the world. I just loved learning about the history of the ball point pen(a passage in the FCAT exam) my fresmen and sophomore year.
Although i don't know much about the "no child left behind back" i do know, by what was explained, that it doesn't make any sense. The want to make sure students learn when really they're taking away a students desire to learn. Learning isn't forced...FCAT exams don't prove anything. Todos estos bureaucrats estan equivocados.