Blogs:

Imagine passing out from high school and then when you want to apply for college
or university, you have to a math test. The test is simple enough or so it seems. It is
something you learnt in school and solved in your math paper at some point of time.
But right now the formulas elude you and you cannot seem to get through with it.

Unfortunately the math problem given to you was something that was taught in ninth grade
but now you have forgotten all about it. This means if you cannot solve such problems then
you need to sit for remedial classes before you start college. For many students, this is a
frustrating wait but they have forgotten most of the math they learnt in school and high
school.

Because many high school graduates face such a situation or are in a dilemma when it
comes to knowing and solving math problems they should know, they are sent for remedial
courses. And a detailed report is now being sent to schools these students come from when
they apply for college.

The report informs the schools that a number of students have been sent for remedial classes because they could not solve the test given to them. This is a new way of telling the teachers and the authorities back in the schools that they are not sending out their students well prepared for college education.

This system of analysis and detailed reporting is an initiative taken to show the schools
that the currently existing standards adopted by them are not good enough and that they need
to set up new bench marks, i.e. set higher standards.

This was the very reason why the standardised test across the nation was introduced. Through this test the education system can now calculate the number of students whose performances are low and can identify the school to which they belong to.

The state of Denver and Philadelphia has adopted this while the state of Illinois has already
tried this method. States like New York have been trying to push the number of
students graduating from high school each year a notch higher and then encourage them to apply for college. Students are unfortunately facing trouble solving regular mathematics and even
reading and writing skills.

If such practices continue, then most of the students who graduate from high schools
would not be prepared for college life. in fact they will not be any good at all. And when President
Obama talks about the “Race to the Top’ initiative and increasing the number of graduates
each year, he definitely does not mean this.

What he means is that one needs to make sure that every child who graduates from high schools is well prepared to face college life. They should be made aware of the problems and pressures they are going to face. Therefore, it is the duty of the schools and high schools to make sure that their students are well prepared and not just graduated.