Dolan, Thomas G (2002). "Sending "C" Students to College - The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education - A long tradition of opportunities galore.". The Education digest (0013-127X), 68 (4), p. 60.
This article makes me wonder what really are students tested on? How well is High School teaching students if those same “C” students are getting good grades in College? The main argument Thomas Dolan is arising is that just because students didn't perform well in High School, that doesn't mean they won't do well in College. Inspiration, dedication, and creativity have to be key to a lot of students, and apparently not very many students are being inspired in the current system. One of the quotes in the article states that a C student from High School brings a lot of untapped potential. This happens because those C students weren't dedicated to getting good grades for some certain reason, and if that reason is erased, then they may very well become actually “good” students. “Many schools of higher education, large and small, are offering the "C" high school student the opportunity to turn into an "A" and "B" student, and many students act on that opportunity” (Dolan). If students stop being just another kid in a system, then they might actually start applying themselves. This is what many Colleges are striving towards, and this article states that it seems to be working.
Dolan backs up his argument that “C” students have potential with quotes, and philosophies of a few people in charge of admissions at different Colleges. Every person is willing to admit that there is a ton potential in the average High School student. The key is to get them to realize that potential, and apply themselves to what they happen to be good at. This is all good in theory, but what I would like to know is how effective is this?
I believe that High School is a system that basically spews out information towards teenagers, so it is easy to understand how a C student can end up performing well when given the opportunity. What I want to know is how do we change that? How do we base grades off of overall potential? It seems to me like this article is saying that High School is not even remotely doing its job. Perhaps College is necessary for the majority in our current educational system, but in an ideal system High School should be enough. 12 years of education should be more than enough to prepare students with enough base knowledge to do almost anything a job would require of them, but perhaps throwing information out at kids for them to grasp by themselves isn't the best procedure for teaching. The so called “C” students might be more effected by being simply part of a majority rather than an individual. These Colleges that were addressed in the article seem to focus on eliminating that. Perhaps a dedication to each individual is a better system than a dedication to a specific curriculum taught to the majority.
Kellen: Thanks for your thoughtful initial response. I'm curious to see how your experience working with HEP will speak back to the academic inquiry you're persuing, but you have a solid start here. You pose some good questions, both about assessment and about what those assessments actually mean. Beyond this, how can education be better structured to serve the needs of the majority? I'm really looking forward to seeing how your work progresses from here.
ReplyDeleteKellen,
ReplyDeleteYour extended bibliography has some great information on the current state of our public schools. I am also very interested in why many “smart” students face difficulties in high school yet do well in college. I'm fascinated to know what educational philosophies Dolan calls on to argue the advantage of the college environment. Drawing more on this part of the article would help give credibility to your source, while also backing up your argument and questions. Its interesting to think that the “C” students are thriving in college when the general idea of college is to be harder than high school. The educational differences between public schools and Universities has been a focus of mine for a couple years now. This article seems like a very nice source to learn more about this topic.
The question you ask early in your extended bibliography, “what are students tested on?” make me draw more questions on the differences on educational philosophies as a whole between high school and universities. If high school is the publics tool for educating our youth and future workers, are we currently achieving this goal? And secondly isn't a “C” student in all honesty an average student? If tests and standards are truly weighted properly, then shouldn't there be a symmetrical bell curve of students equally above and below the “C” grade? This topic seems to have a great wealth of opportunities for you to purse, and especially in conjunction with our service-learning partner. The work we do with our partners hopefully will provide much insight into this process, and answer some of these questions.
One thing I do want to note on your bibliography is that there seem to be a contradiction between how the high school and universities interact. Im not sure if this is true, but it did leave me a bit confused towards the end of the post. Are Universities becoming extensions of the high schools and trying to hand hold the students through course material? Or are Universities taking the approach that students come to them prepared for the different environment and thus proving themselves capable of higher grades? I was unsure what you meant by saying “The so called “C” students might be more effected by being simply part of a majority rather than an individual. These Colleges that were addressed in the article seems to focus on eliminating that.” It may be a preconceived idea that I have about Colleges which makes me think this seems backwards. Restructuring this paragraph with the ideas outlined in Writing Analytically may help make this section more clear to the reader.
The overall extended bibliography makes some great points on student-school relations that I believe we will encounter while working with our partners. Over coming these obstacles must be an on going battle for both student and teacher alike. Nailing down how or why there is a disconnect between teaching and learning may never be answered, but I look forward to your progress in your research on this topic.