In education, the term standards-based has been extensively used to make reference to a system of instructions, academic reporting, assessment, and grading usually based in the demonstration of understanding as well as mystery of the expected skills and knowledge ( Nasser-Abu Alhija, 2019) . In this system of education, the schools make a determination of the goals that a given lesson or course should accomplish. Additionally, teachers are the determinants of the various ways and topics that should be taught to children in order to achieve the defined learning expectations within the standards. In the context of the United States schools, there are state defined learning standards that develop a framework defining the academic expectations and “proficiency” for the various grade levels, subject areas, and courses.
It can be argued that the common goal of standards-based education is to make sure that the learners continue acquiring the skills and knowledge deemed as critical as well as essential for school, careers, higher learning, and adult life successes ( Nasser-Abu Alhija, 2019) . It should be noted that the students who do not meet the expected learning standards typically are recipients of additional instructions, academic support, and practice time to enable them attain proficiency in addition to meeting the learning expectations that are laid down in the standards.
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While traditionally standards-based education has been used for elementary schools within the American education system, there is a notable increase in the use of standards-based education in secondary and middle schools. The abroad concept of standards-based education has been orchestrated by the neoliberal approach that has been taken towards education reform thus making governments not only in the United States to launch the standards- or outcome-based initiatives ( Nasser-Abu Alhija, 2019) . In the American education system, the standards-based education was initiated to bring improvement to the students’ achievements while advancing the standing of the American students within the global economic competition landscape. It is worth noting that the culmination of the Standard-Based Education stems from critical legislations in the country. The “Elementary and Secondary Education Act” of 1965 and the “No Child Left Behind Act” are the main pillars upon which the standards-based education has been founded ( Nasser-Abu Alhija, 2019) .
Articles supporting Standards-based education
The standards-based education has been supported and criticized in nearly equal measure. In an article titled “A Switch to Standards-Based Learning”, the author provides immense support for the education system. According to Karen Hernandez, the article’s author, the standards-based education can prove to be a critical pillar in providing the much-needed support in supporting instructions and feedback ( Hernandez, 2019). The author opines that her support for the education system is based on her re-evaluation on how she graded her learners and questioning whether the mode of grading and assessment provided accurate reflection of the learners’ proficiency levels. Noting that she sought to determine whether her colleagues held similar ideas, a consultation with them led to the adoption of standards-based learning and teaching.
Karen postulates that the standards-based education experience was exciting for her and her team noting inspirations drawn from a book “Standards-Based Learning in Action” provided a valuable guidance to the adoption of the education system. The learning system proves integral for her and her team to separate the behavioral factors exhibited by learners from their academic grades. Further, the system is critical and easy to employ while creating summative as well as formative assessments in addition to giving feedback and using the feedback to enhance students’ improvement ( Hernandez, 2019) . For example, Karen indicates that traditionally she would give half-credit for assignments that were submitted late by students. However, while riding on the standards-based education, she questions the practice which she learnt when she started teaching ( Hernandez, 2019) . Thus in the event that the assignment has been accurately and correctly done, the only challenge is punctuality thus the attention should be directed on the challenge to find a solution. Additionally, the author points that the standards-base education makes educators and teachers to create a clear image of the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in a learner thus providing teachers with focus areas for remediation.
In another article, “3 Reasons Standards are Essential to Educational Success”, the author provides notable support for the standards-based education. In the article, the writer argues that there have been significant uncertainties that surround the American education system (“ 3 Reasons Standards are Essential to Educational Success”, 2017) . However, despite the notable challenges, the education system in America has found a place for standards which continue to have a critical role for within the education system. Such standards, as the writer postulates, have a notable role in developing an effective curriculum that is useful in helping learners to be prepared for the market demands in the twenty first century.
The standards-based education has three major contributions that are essential. First, the standards are critical in setting clear as well as measurable targets. As the writer, argues standards are seen as important in informing teachers and educators of the outcomes that should be achieved in different courses (“ 3 Reasons Standards are Essential to Educational Success”, 2017) . The outcomes that should be achieved are usually defined by the skills as well as knowledge that the learners are supposed to posses in efforts to thrive in the college, life, and work.
While providing additional support for the standards-based education, the article postulates that the system of education has an essential role in informing the provision of instructions for the learners. As such, the definition of the knowledge and skills that students ought to acquire proves important in deriving the standards and curriculum to be followed (“ 3 Reasons Standards are Essential to Educational Success”, 2017) . In addition to providing instructions, standards-based education is important in measuring achievement, which is another vital aspect of the education system that lures the author in supporting it.
“Realizing the Promise of Standards-Based Education” stands out as another article that offers support for standards-based education. The authors of the article opine that the standards movement is a force to reckon with in the modern education ( Schmoker & Marzano, n.d.) . Further, there is a postulation that the standards-based education provides a significant contribution to higher achievements in the education sector. Noting that the success of an organization is defined by the clarity of the goals to be achieved, the standards-based education provides clear goals thus providing a blueprint for success within the education sector.
The writers while drumming up support for the standards-based education, they postulate that the states and schools that have adopted the education system have reaped notable benefits ( Schmoker & Marzano, n.d.) . The adoption of the education system in Frederick County, Maryland, as the authors note, has led to an increase in the number of students who are attaining the common as well as well-defined assessed standards ( Schmoker & Marzano, n.d.) . The achievement has resulted to the promotion of the schools to the highest tier from middle tier schools in Maryland.
Articles disagreeing on standards-based education
As noted earlier, the standards-based education finds support and lack of it in almost equal proportions. In an article voicing the challenges of standards-based education, the author is critical of the education system and largely discredits the system. First, the article indicates that there have been significant efforts aimed at making the standards in the standards-based education more clear (“ What are the Challenges in Implementing Standards Based Instruction?”, n.d.) . However, even though these efforts have been put in place, the nature of quality of teaching and learning varies across regions which would make the adoption of the system to have different results. Moreover, in many cases as the article points out, the standards are often vague or unclear. It should be noted that when the vague or unclear standards are a notable contributor to the differing quality levels across regions. Additionally, the article points out that the fact that some standards within standards-based education may be irrelevant and not worth achieving discredits the education system (“ What are the Challenges in Implementing Standards Based Instruction?”, n.d.) . The irrelevance of some of these standards is enhanced by the presence of multiple standards within one instruction level.
It should be noted that the standards in the standards-based education works to heap pressure on the schools to perform thus encouraging teaching that is aimed at testing. When such teaching is adopted, there is the possibility of having learners who are not satisfied while the teachers hold their teaching roles as lacking motivation for learners.
In the second disagreeing article, “Standards-based disagreement: Not everybody pleased with grading system”, the author tears down on the standards-based education and its pitfalls. In this article, the author inclines to the view that while the aim of this education system is to produce learners who are ready for careers and college, they should not be subjected to a system that has little regard for assigned work ( Idzerda, 2018) . Additionally, the writer argues that the standards-based education puts more emphasis on grading learners solely on what they know with little regard for other factors. As such, there are instances where some skills are graded as “proficient” without letter grades. Moreover, there is a 50% rule for that result to having 50% as the lowest grade. In the setup, homework has become “devalued” with the 50% rule thus creating habits in learners that may be difficult to break. As such, while the model aims at preparing learners for careers, the practices within the model would not work in workplaces ( Idzerda, 2018) .
“The Pros and Cons of Standards-Based Education” article pokes holes in the nature of the standards-based education. The article points out that there are differing views on the benefits and usefulness of the education model (“ The Pros and Cons of Standards-Based Education”, 2019) . One of the reasons for discrediting the model is the question on who should put in place the education standards to be adopted. The writer argues that if standards will be laid down by individuals such as politicians and business people who are out of touch with learners, such standards remain as unreasonable and yield imperfect educational practices (“ The Pros and Cons of Standards-Based Education”, 2019) . Additionally, the article offers the opinion that the determination of the standards’ writers as well as their timing and criteria of standards is a point of concern. There is an opinion that the pursuit of achievement on the basis of a set of goals that are rigid result in learners missing out on the motivation and pleasure that is connected with problem solving. As such, students mainly work for points without building an understanding that the acquiring of knowledge is mainly achieved through active information processing. The author additionally criticizes the standards-based education as one promoting the “mile-wide, inch-deep” curriculum instead of promoting learning and teaching that attempts to achieve solid understanding of the important topics (“ The Pros and Cons of Standards-Based Education”, 2019) .
Opinion on Standards-Based Education
The standards-base education system has been shown to have inherent benefits as well as disadvantages that ought to be considered while implementing the model. I would opine that the standards-based education is more advantageous and should be embraced in comparison to other models. The fact that the standards within this model are measurable and clear makes the designing of curriculum and learning outcomes easier. As such, the ease in designing learning outcomes and curriculum stand out as useful guides to the process of setting goals for educators. Moreover, the standards set in standards-based education provide a measure for achievements in the learning process. Additionally, the fact that the education model enables educators to separate individual behavior from academics makes it possible to create a focus on academic growth, behavior, and standard proficiency. Such outcomes enable the teachers to help learners to perform to their best abilities. Moreover, standards-based education enables educators to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses inherent in learners thus finding the best approach to circumvent such weaknesses while capitalizing on the strengths.
However, despite the numerous advantages that make me to support the standards-based education, there are issues that ought to be given attention to ensure the success of the education model. First, the standards should be set by educators and other stakeholders who are in continuous touch with the learners. Additionally, there should be few standards for each level of instruction while standardizing quality across regions.
References
3 Reasons Standards are Essential to Educational Success. (2017, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.apexlearning.com/blog/3-reasons-standards-are-essential-to-educational-success
Hernandez, K. (2019, April 8). A Switch to Standards-Based Learning. Retrieved from https://achievethecore.org/aligned/switch-standards-based-grading/
Idzerda, C. W. (2018, March 24). Standards-based disagreement: Not everybody pleased with grading system. Retrieved from https://www.gazettextra.com/news/education/standards-based-disagreement-not-everybody-pleased-with-grading-system/article_a6752bf1-3dcb-5615-8223-b3f451401382.html
Nasser-Abu Alhija, F. (2019). Standards-Based Education. Education . doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0210
The Pros and Cons of Standards-Based Education. (2019, July 9). Retrieved from https://online.uwsuper.edu/articles/pros-cons-standards-based-education.aspx
Schmoker, M., & Marzano, R. J. (n.d.). Realizing the Promise of Standards-Based Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Realizing_the_Promise_of_Standards-Based_Education.aspx
What are the Challenges in Implementing Standards Based Instruction? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/what-are-the-challenges-in-implementing-standards-based-instruction/
