ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610280014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: guest column
SOURCE: LISA CARVER, JIM HUFF and GEORGE MORGAN
Recent Montgomery County School Board discussions have targeted the issue of academic challenge, and thank goodness they have.
A recent study of Montgomery County pupils in two different years and over a variety of grade levels documents that nearly half of the pupils (and in some cases two-thirds) are months or even years behind the achievements of pupils with similar ability elsewhere in the nation.
Parents encountering the study on the Internet (http://harvey.psyc.vt.edu/ability-achievement.html) or elsewhere feel a wrenching sense of deja vu. Here is documentation of their experience. The test results alone aren't necessarily significant. Disheartened parents alone may not be credible enough to justify action. But the tests results and parent experiences combined form a potently credible argument for change.
Why the concern?
When potential Olympic athletes or musical child prodigies are among our children, few of us would object to this "elite" group being encouraged and challenged. Why are we less concerned that approximately half the school system is not being academically challenged?
The lack of academic challenge sends the wrong messages: last-minute effort suffices; mediocrity is encouraged by the system; and hard work is needless. Instead pupils should learn that the community values hard work and struggle toward goals.
Self-esteem, the current Holy Grail, is not promoted by declaring in Lake Woebegone-style that our children are all above average. We can't afford for students to lose interest in school, act out in class, and not appreciate the value of hard work to achieve a goal. We should demand that all work equally hard and pull their weight.
We shouldn't train our future citizens to view this community as shallow and insincere with claims that each of them is valuable yet providing them no vision of how to contribute to a better society. Our diverse student population is already grouped by age as a proxy for ability, but that doesn't mean ignoring the remaining differences within a classroom. More must be done to customize curricula to the diverse needs of students.
What is needed?
* First, admit the problem exists. Benign neglect of high-ability students (because they are "capable of taking care of themselves") is not education. Additional funds to provide appropriate challenge, additional training, and more counseling resources would be most welcome. The School Board's recent approval of an additional resource teacher is a tangible sign of awareness that deserves community encouragement. The desire to address those pupils' needs is critical for effective implementation.
* Accountability for the education of our children must become more pervasive. If programs are implemented, then evaluate their performance and fix problems. If the language arts program is not succeeding where the math program is, then model language arts after the successful math program, not the other way around. The School Board's interest in using community advisory groups to monitor and report on implementation of administration plans is another positive development.
* Report scores comparing each student's achievement versus ability with reference to national norms. We need to identify the extent of the population that remains under-served. Systemwide achievement scores aren't helpful when our county has far more high-ability students than the national average. According to the recent study, 40 percent of Montgomery County pupils are above the 75th percentile for ability. The national average is only 25 percent.
Reassert academic priorities
When awards are given for athletic performance and attendance but not for academics, the schools send a clear message. Academics are the lowest priority. High-ability students should be given an equal opportunity to develop self-esteem by being recognized for achieving academic goals through hard work and perseverance. The future of our community depends on building a long-lasting respect for diversity, including an appreciation for diverse academic abilities.
Recent School Board openness to the advisory council's suggestions and board interest in monitoring implementation of plans offers hope. The School Board should continue exposing and addressing the problems confronting approximately half of Montgomery County's students.
Lisa Carver and Jim Huff are Christiansburg residents. George Morgan lives in Blacksburg. All three are parents of Montgomery County students.
LENGTH: Medium: 82 linesby CNB