Publication Date

Fall 2006

School

School of Education

Abstract

The quality of education in America has not paralleled her vast achievements. In an effort to lessen mediocrity within the educational system, the standards-based education movement has begun to establish levels of information taught at each grade level. This educational reform which attempts to raise the quality of education across the nation has been implemented locally through the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Standards of Learning framework highlights the necessity of proficient communication for the sake of the future ambitions of students. Such an objective has been attained through grammatical instruction of Standard English integrated within the language arts. Although in the midst of such progress, fears are still prevalent that the nation is regressing towards instructional methodologies which have historically stifled America’s educational system. These fears arise from the movement’s reliance on high stakes testing. An examination of these high stakes testing reveals various aspects of teaching towards the test which indirectly emphasize practices regressing back towards rote-memorization.

Share

COinS