Educational Issues

Article One
The article Number of Students Leaving School Early Continues to Increase, Study Says from the New York Times talks about how the number of students leaving school early and not graduating continues to increase. In 2000 according to studies the percentage of students not graduating was 17.5% and in 2007 it was over 20%. Many of the students not graduating are leaving school in the 9th grade which is about 7.5% of the 20%. Although 20% seems rather high some of this percentage is students leaving school and enrolling in a different school or being home schooled and not having it documented as a transfer. Other reasons include schools trying to push out students who are not doing as well to keep the schools test scores high. Lawsuits have been filed over this with many schools being sued. The article also says the goal is to find out why students are dropping out as early as in the 9th grade. The study also says that African Americans and Hispanic students as well as boys are having the higher percentage of dropping out.

Overall I think that this article shows the statistics of students dropping out but doesn’t have the answers as to why students are dropping out. I think that there needs to be a better system to determine which students are transfers and which students are actually dropping out. I think that if there were a better system then the percentage of students not graduating would be lower. I think the goal is to figure this out as well as what is causing these students to drop out.


Article Two
The article ‘No Child’ Law Is Not Closing Racial Gap from the New York Times is about how despite the No Child Left Behind law it is not narrowing the achievement between white and minority students. According to test results over the past few years test scores for minority groups have increased but so have those for white students still leaving the achievement gap. The trends that are increasing have been the same over several years and even before the No Child Left Behind Law was put into effect. This leaves some to question if the law is working and how the Obama administration will change or make revisions to the law to help with the achievement gaps.

I think that this article is very interesting. The No Child Left Behind law was created so that no child would be left behind and has a focus on standardized testing. I think that the idea of no child being left behind is a good idea but obviously it is not working. I do not think a student’s fate should rely on standardized testing. Some students are bad test takers and get nervous and freeze up because they know if they don’t pass the test they might not make it to the next grade. I think that the student’s grades throughout the years should come into play. I think that the No Child Left Behind law needs to have some changes made to it in close the achievement gap and make it so that no child is left behind.

Article 3
The article Without Cafeteria Trays, Colleges Find Savings from the New York Times is about how colleges across the country are doing away with trays in hopes of conserving water, cutting food waste and saving money. There are also hopes that by eliminating trays it will help cut down on the “freshman 15.” Colleges that have eliminated the use of trays seem to be having success. Food seems to be wasted less and water and energy consumption have also decreased. One college in Massachusetts claims that they saved 14,000 gallons in one of their dining halls over a year’s time. Another school says that they saved 10% on food spending because the elimination of trays. Some students still believe that even without trays food is still being wasted but overall it seems to be not as much.

Overall I agree with the elimination of trays on college campuses. Elon doesn’t have trays and the students don’t seem to mind. I think that it does help eliminate the amount of food that students waste. At the all you can eat places you know that you can get as much food as you want put without trays you can only get so much at a time which once you start to get full you don’t go back so aren’t wasting as much food. I also agree with the fact that eliminating trays helps save water and money. With not having to wash x number of trays each day that is tons of water that schools are saving as well as money. If they are not using as much water then they are saving that money which can be used for something else.