The SAT's - A Fair Fight?

Teaching Teens: The SAT's - A Fair Fight?

College is the aspiration of thousands of young adults everywhere. In today's modern society, you cannot typically excel in life without it. To some degree, students want to see themselves in a better place one day. Many parents come down harshly on their children to do well and achieve. Do admitting average or mediocre students debase American higher education? I strongly believe it does not. It has already been debased, by other factors.

You ask yourself, "What makes a average/mediocre student?" Is it the low grades, SAT scores, environment or social behavior? What makes a student fail? There are many factors involved, many which would take a lot of in-depth research. I'll concentrate on the areas I just brought up.

The SAT is a poor tool to determine collegiate eligibility. Today, the SAT is still used to debase American higher learning. From countless conversations, and personal experience, I do not believe the SAT should be used as a dividing tool in selection. The SAT is biased and misused entirely.

I have also read over many articles that exclaim the SAT is severely flawed, and too unreliable. You cannot tell me that public schools stimulate enough interest or ethics to prepare today's students for the SAT. I, being the product of public schooling, do not believe my high school faculty mentally prepared my fellow classmates and I for the SAT.

I remember my first attempts at the SAT. I was reading through a test pamphlet of certain words that I had hardly ever heard used in the common English vocabulary. I was also looking at math equations that were never hinted on, or stressed on for that matter. To further comment on the math portion of the SAT, a graphic calculator is barred from use, but used as a constant crutch in today's schooling. Of course with the proper "coaching" techniques, including expensive books and videos, one may have an edge with the SAT's unpredictable questions.

How can this test be called "standardized" when certain students may have an edge over the students who could not afford the expensive training methods? This brings up the problem of extortion, used by the SAT's and it's affiliates.

The SAT is a biased and misused entirely. The option of integrating your SATS scores into your academic portfolio could easily eradicate the problem. Those students who feel their SAT scores correctly present their academic skills can include them, and they who feel the latter, may not.

Many colleges are now not using SAT scores for a majority of academic decisions like Allen University of Columbia, SC and American Academy of Art of Chicago, IL just to name a few. These colleges rely on a combination of grades, recommendations, and a portfolio/special project.

Teaching Teens: The SAT's - A Fair Fight?: Part II

If you have excelled in some type of sports activity, and you are chosen to be on your college's team, you will get a free ride throughout college. All of that is contingent on the grounds the student achieves a substandard GPA. Here I see a related issue with today's higher education debasing itself. We are taught as young children, "why worry about your grades, when you can get through life with sports." This is where you can see college and sport's apparent misconception/corruption.

Should I have to point out that there have been many scandals exposed where top name colleges pay students exorbitant amounts of money or possessions to sway students to play for their colleges? I'm sure the coaches really had their eye on those student's minds. Do these students deserve to attend college, aside from their fellow "mediocre" classmates? No.

Webster's Dictionary defines a "student" as an "an attentive and systematic observer." Many say a student can be only as good as his teacher, but that can only be true to some extent. The student must take the initiative to want to learn and be "attentive" as explained in Webster's. Many students will not see the inherent effects of poor educational habits. These students will fail out their first year from a combination of drunken college parties, TV, and computer games/internet services just to name a few. The stereotypical movies we see depicting college life, and our real-life peers don't help us much at all. Too many colleges are seen as a party rather than a learning environment.

It is from my experience moving from state to state and other countries that many high school instructors fail to accomplish their task in preparing today's young adults for college. In this instance, the system has already been debased before higher education comes into play. Many of my high school teachers did not incite a positive image of wanting to learn more of the subject they were teaching. Some students would simply lose interest, daydream or sleep.

There was a difference in military operated schools verses civilian. There are many exceptions, good and bad varying from each institution. In military run schools, the teachers had a small advantage with behavior. The military children were more behaved than civilian students. This behavior was coming from the effect of a stricter child rearing method. The teachers were given a calm environment, free from common complications, such as misbehaving or violent children; thus resulting in a more efficient learning environment.

With all of these problems affecting the structure of college, no wonder this question is being asked. It's time to see past the illusion that there are not really any mediocre students, but a mediocre system (SATs) scrutinizing them.

In conclusion, American higher education has already been debased by its poor base structure. The United States scores lower than many of our foreign counterparts. Maybe its time we rethink and restructure the methods used to teach and scale a student in today's education system.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, children's rights activist, author, and Founder and C.E.O. of online education company Learning by Grace, Inc. Rothschild and her husband of twenty-eight years reside in suburban Philadelphia with their eight children.

Feeling that “our current system of education has broken its promise,” Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. to provide families with Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children all over the world.

In addition to her twenty years of experience as a homeschool mother, Rothschild has written a number of books dealing with education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education Websites Blog consists of helpful online content and activities for Christian homeschooling families.

Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.

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Controversies: By Mimi Rothschild

A Growing Rift in Home Schooling

There is a chasm growing in the world of the home school. Home school used to be almost exclusively for religious people who didn't want their children in traditional school so they could focus more and more on bible studies. As home school grows in popularity, more and more non-religious people are starting to utilize home school for their own children. Like in many areas, the fundamental rift between religious home school parents and secular home school parents is starting to cause some problems throughout the country in home school support groups and other home school businesses and associations.

The question is what, if anything, can be done to mend this rift in home school philosophy. The answer to that question is probably not much. Just like in public life, secular and religious people have basic fundamental differences which can make it difficult to work together on many issues. However, the fact that there is growing diversity in views among the home school set indicates that the field is growing in prestige and vitality.

Although conflict might be difficult, it can also pave the way for advancement. Religiously oriented home school parents may balk at the notion, but the growing number of secular parents may help them out substantially. Having lots of non-religious home school parents means that the government is less likely to take action or persecute a religious group of home school families. Religious home school families can use their secular counterparts as a buffer against undue government intrusion. On the flip side, secular home school families have benefited greatly from the ground work religious home school families have laid in the area of home schooling, both in terms of curriculum and the law. The rise in the total number of home school families benefits both groups because it means that there are more resources available to home school families of all stripes.

Perhaps the best that home school families can hope for then is a sort of truce. As home school rises in popularity, it will most likely be the case that there will be religious and secular curriculums, support groups and other resources divided on the basis of religion. The one thing all home school families agree on is that traditional school is not for their children. However, this is not going to be enough to bridge the gap between the secular and religious home school camps.

School Districts Can Help With Your Home School Needs

Many home school parents don't realize the number of resources available to them through their local school districts. More and more, school districts are setting up special programs designed for home schooling parents, with resources available for meeting state standards and help in teaching methods. Home school parents have an increasing number of resources at their disposal, and should utilize many of them in order to increase the chances of being successful at setting up and maintaining a home school situation for their children.

One service that some school districts offer is help in meeting state guidelines. Most states require that home school students, regardless of other factors, meet certain state and federal bench marks. Most commonly, these bench marks involve being able to read at a certain level and having math skills at a certain level by a given age. Apart from this, many states also have standards with regards to other content areas such as history, civics, science, etc. Some school districts can help you by outlining these standards for you and showing you how you can prove to the state that your child is meeting or exceeding these minimum standards.

Another service that many school districts offer teachers is curriculum planning. Oftentimes, school districts hire one or two fully certified teachers to help you iron out the kinks in your curriculum. A certified teacher on the state's payroll can offer suggestions for methods of teaching various subjects. For example, a certified teacher may be very useful in giving you ideas for your home school science curriculum. She can suggest some appropriate science topics and show you how to do a demonstration or experiment as part of your home school science curriculum. She can also give you ideas on working through other content areas and effective methods for teaching your child in a home school setting.

As a student gets older, they can take advantage of even more services offered to home school students through the district. Home school students planning on college are often eligible to use the college resource center at their local high school. They can also talk to school counselors regarding college or career planning. Home school students can also take part in extracurricular activities like math club or band or choir and also participate in sports at their local schools. Having your home school child participate in activities and athletics through the local high school is often a cost effective option for parents. Similarly, classes like foreign language are sometimes open to home school students. Instead of paying for a tutor or a special correspondence course, your student can attend a couple classes at the school.

Check with your local school district to see if it offers support to home schoolers.

Some Unscrupulous People Give Home-school a Black Eye

Although home-school families are by and large upstanding people, several recent cases involving home-school families have given home-school a black eye in the mind of the public. While most parents, whether they home-school or not, wouldn't dream of such behavior, several recent well-publicized cases show some parents using home-school as a cover for the neglect and abuse of their children. In these cases, critics of home-school often point out that if the child had been in school, a teacher, school nurse, or counselor would have been able to report the abuse sometimes years before local authorities caught on. Home-school advocates point out that these people are not indicative of the vast majority of home-school families; however, that declaration does little to repair the image of home-school in the wider community.

So how can your home-school family cope with these new criticisms and suspicious looks from family members, friends, and other members of the community? Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a lot that you can do. Living your life well, treating your children well and remaining a committed, involved and upstanding member of your community, however, will help demonstrate how good home-school can be. It will also show that home-school does not breed abusive parents; it is simply another cover for abusive parents' unacceptable behavior. The best way to counter that image, then, is not to withdraw, but to remain a model for positive parenting in your community. Showing by example is perhaps the most powerful tool you can use to convince people that home-school is a positive thing for families.

Another step you can take is to write letters to your newspaper editor extolling the virtues of home-school for kids. An even better step might be to make sure that the press is alerted when a home-school child in the area does something notable. Keeping the local press in the loop with regard to the social and academic achievements of home-school kids increases the chances that home-school will be covered in a positive light in your local newspaper and television stations. If a home-school child wins a national essay contest or science fair or an award for community service, allow the press to cover it and grant them interviews. In this way, you can help the larger community to see all the well-adjusted families who choose home-school.

Striking a Balance between Freedom for Parents & Protecting Children

While most home school kids are in happy, well-adjusted families, there have been some well publicized cases lately of parents who claim that they have set up a home school for their children when the truth is that they are abusing their children, neglecting their children, or worse. This has caused politicians and government workers on both sides of the political spectrum to question how much freedom should be given to home school parents to direct their children's education with minimal government interference. Critics of home school claim that many parents use home school as a cover for abusing and neglecting their children while proponents of home school point out the high rate of home school kids that go to college as evidence that they don't need further government intrusion into their lives. The question becomes, then, how can home school families repair the damage that these cases are doing to the collective reputation of home school and how can we protect children who are being abused when they are not in school?

There are several ways a good home school family can prove to its community that home school is a good thing for children. The primary thing is not to retreat, but to let you and your kids be seen as a happy family together. Become a model home school family and show your community what a happy home school family looks like - don't merely tell them. The second thing that you should do is find a contact in your local press. If a home school child in your area does something noteworthy, such as getting into an Ivy League college or winning an essay contest or science fair, your local press should know about it. Often, they will run at least some kind of public notice of the child's accomplishment. This gives good home school families much needed positive press and portrays home school families in a positive light.

Finally, home school parents are just as concerned about protecting abused and neglected children as anyone else. Instead of shutting down when a politician or government official makes a suggestion, try working with your local school boards and community governments to come up with solutions that protect both your privacy and your right to home school how you see fit. Home school families are praised by college admissions boards for their fostering of creativity. This is the perfect situation to put that creativity you cultivate in home school to good use.

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Education News

The Maine Reform Experiment - More is Not Necessarily Better
By Mimi Rothschild

In 1996, the state of Maine undertook one of the most ambitious educational reform programs in the country. Called the Maine Learning Results Program, the reform called for higher standards in eight subjects and required 220 school districts to create their own individual programs for improvement. Massachusetts, on the other hand, chose to lower its requirements for students. Which state was more successful in its educational reforms? In a few short years, Massachusetts students outperformed students in Maine. What are the reasons for these surprising results and what are the implications for homeschooling?

Maine attempted to improve its educational system, but it only increased bureaucracy and red tape. Massachusetts, on the other hand, decided to be less ambitious and to require remedial tutoring for all students who fail. Many homeschooling parents feel vindicated by these findings; it shows that blanket reforms don't cover everyone, and kids are not necessarily better off in the traditional school system than in a homeschooling setting.

Money was not a factor, either. Maine spends $1,000 more on each student than Massachusetts, in spite of the Bay State's mandatory tutoring program. Personal attention provided to homeschoolers like that matters more than money in creating optimal educational results. Homeschoolers need not worry that a lack of funds will mean mediocre performance. This study shows that pushing kids through an overburdened system is not better than homeschooling. It also shows that giving kids one-on-one attention can only be provided in a homeschool environment.

Are you better off homeschooling your child than sending him or her to public school? The choice is up to the individual. The study does not prove that homeschooling is the right choice for every single student. What it does demonstrate is that more is not necessarily better. It is not the case, as opponents of homeschooling often argue, that the public school system can provide a student with a better education than homeschooling simply because the public school system has more money and resources. Homeschooling does not require fancy reforms or elaborate programs. Meeting the needs of each individual student is the advantage of homeschooling over traditional education. No amount of money or panel of experts can replace the personal care and attention provided by homeschooling.

Massachusetts' educational program was successful because it provided tutoring for students who failed courses. Homeschooling, on the other hand, provides constant "tutoring" even for students who succeed and this enables them to consolidate their success. With homeschooling, your child can enjoy a personalized educational experience.

Homeschooling & Online Education
By Mimi Rothschild

Online education is changing the way children around the country learn, including homeschool students. Years ago, textbooks and workbooks were the primary educational resources. That's all changed, as great numbers of homeschool parents and students choose to use the Internet as the ultimate learning tool.

In the past, only a select few students had the opportunity to learn online. In fact, in the early years of the Internet, very few students had access to the Internet at all. Some homeschool students were able to use computers to play games and take advantage of educational software, but most were unable to reap the benefits of the information superhighway. That's all in the past as today's homeschool students are likely to be extremely tech-savvy and often they are more computer proficient than their parents.

According to research studies, over 90 percent of children over the age of 12, who use the Internet, do so for education-related activities or research. A significant number of children in sixth grade and above have their own e-mail addresses and over 70 percent have one or more instant message (IM) screen names. Many of these Internet-accomplished children are homeschool students, using the Web for everything from studying and research to keeping in touch with friends and playing games.

Homeschool students use the Internet with ever-increasing levels of sophistication. Often, the level of sophistication at which most homeschool children use computers and online education far outpaces that of their parents. Simply put, the younger generations seem to absorb more information faster when it comes to computers and online educational tools. Furthermore, they seem to feel greater overall comfort with using the Internet as an educational tool.

Homeschool students use the Internet as an online educational tool in various ways. For starters, homeschool students use the Net for research and studying a full range of topics. They use it to gain help with difficult subjects and develop greater levels of understanding in others. Some homeschool students use the Internet in lieu of textbooks to learn an amazing variety of subjects. Many actually take online classes offered by public or private educational institutions. Additionally, homeschool students use the Internet for guidance and advice. Of course, entertainment is also a very popular reason for using the Internet.

Studies show that students, including those who homeschool, view online education not as a fun distraction or educational side dish, but as an educational necessity. Many would like to see the Internet become even more integrated into their homeschool environments. Homeschool students want to be able to use the Internet more to gain access to real, up-to-date information, instead of having to rely on textbooks (sometimes outdated) for information.

The Leading PreK-12 Online Christian Home School Program Provider
Learning By Grace Managed Academies 2008-2009 Learning Year: In session from September 7th, 2008 through June 30th, 2009

________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

Learning By Grace, Inc. is a provider of on line educational solutions for Christian home school families. Through several on line Christian schools offering PreK-12 curriculum for home schooling, Learning By Grace is changing the way people view education.

Learning By Grace is dedicated to providing an affordable Christian home education to families all over the world. The home school curriculum used is comprised of engaging multimedia activities through e texts, workbooks, on line education assignments, video, audio, interactive field trips, and so much more. By providing children with a quality home education, parents can take an active role in instilling Godly values in their children. With just a computer and Internet connection, parents are now able to offer their children something more.

Because the Learning By Grace home school curriculum is so flexible, students are able to work at their own pace. Special needs students and quick learners both are able to achieve academic success by taking as much time as they need to comprehend the course material - no more, no less. Learning By Grace provides an alternative to the negative influences that permeate the nation’s public schools such as worldly thinking, humanist teaching, and moral relativism. Free from peer pressures, distractions, and a rigid educational formula, our home school students can pursue educational excellence.

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Home School Program is Safest. Secular influences can rob your children. Our Christian on line program cultivates Biblical values. Keep your precious children safe! Help them to develop a Biblical world view by educating them in an on line Christian program. Our Christian on line program has been designed to meet all of your home schooling needs!

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The Jubilee Academy is a nationally recognized, accredited curriculum provider for preschool through 12 families. Jubilee Academy families receive a comprehensive interactive accredited Christian program. For less than what many families spend on books alone, you get everything you need to have a successful academic year.

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The Jubilee Academy offers over 150 accredited preschool through Grade 12 multimedia-rich on line courses, including preschool through high school. The Jubilee Academy gives you up to six courses. Each course contains 180 lessons and runs for 36 weeks. All of our courses are designed from a Christian world view and include a rich collection of videos, graphs, audio files, and off line activities.

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The Grace Academy Homeschooling

The Grace Academy is more than just a school. We provide a fully-featured educational framework that is changing the way that people think about education. Our cutting-edge technology allows parents to provide their children with a world-class private Christian education at a fraction of the cost of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Unlike other homeschooling curricula, we do not just provide textbooks. We provide a variety of educational tools, materials, and services which home schoolers all over the world use to achieve academic excellence.

The Grace Academy gives you the best qualities of Christian Curriculum,
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The Grace Academy gives you daily/weekly homeschooling lesson plans for every course,
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Our Learning Management System enables us to synthesize all of the branches of our organization so that we can provide an efficient, quality, hassle-free service to you. This on line home schooling system coordinates all of our course material, scheduling, grading, administrative tasks, record-keeping, progress reporting, and other efforts. With this cutting-edge technology, we are able to provide parents with all the information they need for a top-tier on line home schooling experience.

Visit us and make a wise decision for your student today. Select a Learning By Grace Managed Christian Home Academy today for your child's future tomorrow. Click on the banner or link of your choice.