Chapter 9: Successful Students

Good Student Award

Throughout most of my education I have been told that I am a really good student. That is not me bragging or anything; it was just what I was constantly told. Throughout my early education I did not think much about the tests that we were taking to analyze our skill levels. I remember being exposed to the standardized tests and having competitions with a boy in my class on who could get our tests done faster. We took turns being the first and second ones to be done and it was more of a joke. When the test scores would come back my parents would praise me for my results. I apparently scored higher than my grade level constantly and that was something to be praised for. I had gained the status of a successful student early and that role followed me throughout my whole educational career.

As I got older I became more aware of the educational structure and how it impacted other students around me. I had friends that were in lower level courses and were struggling to maintain the grade level work that was given to them. My best friend and I in middle school followed the path of working above our grade level in math and reading. Since we were in charter schools the learning styles were more unique and allowed the teacher to give us a little more leeway to teach ourselves the material.

Standardized Testing Cartoon

When I went to Crosswinds Arts and Science we were told by our English teacher that there was a lot of pressure from the school board to pull good scores on our next standardized tests. Our teacher explained to us that we were at risk for losing our charter because we were not keeping the standards that were stated in our contract. We set aside all of our materials that we had been learning and picked up practice tests. Our teacher ran through how to take tests and reviewed a lot of the material that we had been learning. She said she expected the best out of us and that she knew that we could pull the scores that the school expected out of us. When the tests came back my teacher told us that she was so proud of the work that we had done and that we had excellent scores. That situation showed has although we were a charter school we still had to follow the rules that an institution had for us. We had to set aside our personal learning to achieve what the state believed we needed to achieve.

Standardized Testing Cartoon

After Crosswinds I moved to Central Senior High. I could see the difference in the way the school ran. I noticed the distinct separation between the kids that were succeeding and the students that were not challenged. The students called them tracks and if you were to go anywhere with your high school career you were expected to take challenging classes. So I entered into as many challenging classes as I possibly could knowing that it was the best way to set myself up for college. I took Advance Placement classes and International Baccalaureate classes to ensure I was on the track to college. The school encouraged the successful students and encouraged them to keep up the good work. They did not concentrate on the lower level classes and how it might impact their future. The structure of this institution was concentrating on pushing already successful students to be extraordinary students. Newton mentions the example of the having competition, although you see your fellow students struggling, you know that you are at least succeeding (279).  

This video shows the process and the explanation of the tracking system and how it affects our education system.

In the long run, as you grow up you learn that schools are just another organization that is deeply a part of your life. You learn their norms and how to function among them to either be successful or fall below their expectations. Learning to navigate those aspects of education is part of growing up in the United States and you discover where you fall within those definitions. You also learn the realities of the achievement gap and how that plays into your life. Tests become regularity and figuring out how you can get past them is part of your training. Education is a necessity and my experiences are some of my favorite memories but there are a lot of faulty aspects in the way our society addresses education that I realized as I grew up. The pressure to succeed is intense and a lot of students can not fit into the box that the educational institution expects them to.

Work Cited: 

 Newman, D.M. (2012). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday life. 9th Ed. Pine Forge Press: Thousand Oaks, California.