Students need more than test skills

In a press conference call with college and university student journalists, President Barack Obama discussed his administration’s work toward lowering the cost of higher education and strengthening the curriculum so graduates can compete in an international workforce.

One of the points Obama made was that one third of college stu- dents and approximately more than half of minority students fail to earn their college degree after enrolling in an institution.

High school’s main purpose is to prepare students for a higher educational system or the workforce. Public school systems have become so centered on standardized testing and its correlation to funding that it makes me wonder if America is losing the edge in critical thinking.

College preparation in critical thinking, problem solving and real- life application is difficult to transition to when high schools emphasize test-taking strategies over how to become a life-long learner.

Could lack of preparation be the cause for these failing rates? Even if the rates increase, will students be prepared to enter into this new workforce with strong international competitors? If for 12 years students have been mastering tests rather than the material, will four years in a higher education
system really be what breaks that cycle?

The beauty of a liberal arts education is the well-rounded back- ground that it gives students. It promotes the development of skills and knowledge outside intended areas of study. The narrow focus in high school on standardized test scores, and the pressure for students to learn how to take tests rather than master the material, diminishes the goal of preparing students in a similar fashion. If students are worried about scores, when will they absorb skills necessary in a career-focused world?

It starts with the government taking action to increase freedom of instructors to creatively shape their lesson plans. Yes, there need to be some standards nationally, and standardized assessments for higher education entrance, but the overwhelming amount of tests need to be cut.

I respect Obama’s plan to better prepare students for the workforce, but it needs to start much sooner than college. Our competitive issues do not lie solely with higher education institutions, but in elementary and secondary education school systems.

Preparation is the problem. If we can get back the outside-of-the-box thinking that America is supposedly known for, we can retain our position as number one in college graduates. By trying to compete with other countries in test scores, we have lost sight of America’s educational crowning- glory: critical thinking and analytical problem solving.

This story was first published on TheFranklinOnline.com
http://www.thefranklinonline.com/blog/forum/students_need_more_than_test_skills