Ask Judge Mathis

For several years, ever since the No Child Left Behind Act took effect, students, teachers and school districts have felt the pressure that comes from living in a nation that uses standardized tests as its sole method for measuring student proficiency. When too many students at one school perform poorly on these tests, teachers can be been fired, principals replaced and schools closed. Hundreds of teachers were fired in DC schools because of poor performance by students on test. The stakes are high. But no one would have guessed that the pressure would lead to alleged cheating on these exams.

An investigation by USA Today into drastic test score turnarounds at Noyes elementary, a Washington, DC public school, revealed that seventh grade students in one classroom at the school each had, on average, nearly 13 wrong answers that were erased and changed to the correct answer.

Coincidence? Maybe not. In 2006, 10% of the school’s students “passed” the standardized math test. In 2008, nearly 60 percent did. Tests scores showed the school made similar gains on the reading portion of the test. Perhaps the teachers simply worked harder and ensured students absorbed the lessons? Maybe. But it’s important, for comparison, to note that the average wrong to right erasure for seventh graders throughout the D.C. public school system was less than one.

Noyes elementary school isn’t the only one with questionable score improvement. 58 Atlanta schools are under investigation because high rates of wrong answers changed to right on student answer sheets raised flags. Similar occurrences have raised red flags in Detroit as well.

If this is, in fact, cheating, who is responsible? Teachers? School principals? No one is sure but one thing is certain: if it’s happening in DC, Detroit and Atlanta, it is happening in other cities. Changing test answers to fake improvement doesn’t help our students. It hurts them. That is why a federal task force needs to be formed to investigate drastic improvement on standardized tests at our nation’s public schools. We want to believe that our teachers and principals are honest but we also know that fear – of being fired if students perform poorly – or greed – teachers and principals at Noyes received bonuses when scores improved – are powerful motivators.

There also needs to be another way to measure student performance. We cannot simply rely on standardized tests. Periodic monitoring can easily show how students and teachers perform in the classroom. Required essays and math ‘projects’ will show us that students can actually apply what they are taught. Diversifying the way we measure student performance – and deciding the fate of teachers, principals and schools – will also help keep things honest.

After being urged by President Obama to invest in our nation’s students, you would think our federal lawmakers would do anything they could to preserve a program that sets the foundation for a lifetime of achievement, right? Wrong. Once again, Republicans are moving to cut a program that helps average Americans and, in this case, specifically the poor.

The Head Start Program is yet another social program the Republican Party has targeted for major cuts. Head Start provides educational and health services to low-income children and their families. Head Start has been one of the most studied early education programs since it began more than 40 years ago. The program has proven itself to be one of the United State’s most successful social experiments and an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Research shows students who complete Head Start do better both socially and academically and are less likely to drop out of high school.

Yet, Republicans want to cut the program by more than 22-percent. They say Head Start isn’t as effective as supporters claim. To be fair, some studies show that achievement levels of some Head Start attendees start to drop off after first grade. However, this could speak to the quality of the school they enroll in after the program. Additionally, the program’s opponents say too much money is spent maintaining the program and not enough on enrolling new students.

It’s not clear if the Republican Party is against poor people, working mothers, low-income children or all three. All of the cuts it’s leaders have moved to make have been to programs the support and empower the poor. If they are successful in taking away the building blocks that many have used to create a foundation for future success, America’s middle class will continue to shrink and the number of families living below the poverty line will increase.

If the Republicans were serious about balancing the budget they’d take a look at programs with inflated and misappropriated budgets, starting with the military. Sure, it’s critical that the U.S. has a strong military in place but studies have shown that program is rife with wasteful spending. It’s not the only area where money is either being wasted or being misused. A good, honest budget scrub will show the Republicans – and Democrats – just which programs can handle significant cuts.
If you believe in the power of Head Start and can testify to how it helped a child – past or present – in your life, call your elected officials. Let them know that they absolutely cannot cut Head Start. Our children’s – and our nation’s – success depends on it.

The struggling economy has, unfortunately, forced state and local governments across the country to make cuts in much needed services and programs. The nation’s public schools have been hit particularly hard by these cuts. First, some districts reduced or completely eliminated physical education classes and arts programming – programming that has been proven to enhance student academic performance. Then, others began to eliminate teachers, slowly growing classrooms sizes. Now, it seems even more school districts are looking to reduce the number of teachers on the payroll and combine classrooms…all in an effort to save money.

A recent article in the New York Times shed light on this disturbing movement toward larger class sizes. According to the article, the size of 11th and 12th grade classes in Los Angeles has increased by more than 40 students. Detroit is considering increasing the size of its high school classes to 60 students. Though school officials there say its unlikely classes will grow that large, it’s disturbing the conversation has even turned in that direction. It doesn’t end there. Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin have all relaxed their restrictions on class size. Idaho and Texas are deciding whether or not they are going to grow they’re classrooms.

Those who see cutting back on teachers and increasing class sizes as a solution to budget woes are the same people who don’t believe class size matters when it comes to student achievement. However, multiple studies have shown us that class size does matter. Research shows that, overall, students perform better in smaller classes. Poor and minority children seem to do best in smaller classes and improve at twice the rate of the average student when the student–teacher ratio is low. But who needs research? Common sense tells us that more students mean more distractions for the teacher and less individual attention for the students.

During his State of the Union address, President Obama called on America to invest in education. By putting our resources toward our children, we will, in effect, be putting a down payment on a more prosperous future for America. School districts should not sacrifice student performance during a time of education crisis. America has fallen behind other countries when it comes to producing skilled workers; our nation is no longer a nation of innovators. To jeopardize our children’s future is to jeopardize our nation’s future.

As if we haven’t gotten enough bad news lately about the ineffectiveness of America’s education system, we now find out that nearly 25 percent of high school graduates who take the military entrance exam can’t pass it. According to a report from the Education Trust, a national organization that works to promote academic from pre-K through college, young military recruits can’t correctly answer basic math, reading and science questions. This has military leaders worried that the number of Americans eligible for military service will dwindle, putting our national security at risk.

This is just more bad news for the country’s education system, which ranks 14th on a list of 34 developed countries for reading skills, 17th for science and 25th for math. On an international scale, our student’s are being outpaced by their counterparts in Europe and Asia and, as a nation, we’ve yet to develop a system that allows our students to compete.

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama challenged not only Congress but the country as a whole: imploring us to a better job of educating our students and preparing them for a life past high school. He called for expanded educational funding and greater parent involvement. Though he didn’t necessarily speak about teacher accountability – teachers unions fund campaigns at high dollar amounts so that’s a touchy political subject – we also know this area needs to be addressed as well.

If we don’t invest more money and time we’ll continue to lose jobs to countries that better prepare their students for the workforce. Now, we have the added worry of the impact our subpar schools will have on our ability to protect ourselves as a nation. Improving the national education system is a priority for this country; our status as a world power – both economically and militarily – depends on our ability to do better by our students.

In a significant sign of progress on the higher education front, financial aid has increased dramatically since the Obama administration took office. In the past year, students received $28 billion in Pell Grants; that’s $10 billion more than was issued the previous year. This news makes it clear the federal government is mindful of the rising costs of a college education and willing to invest to provide an opportunity for anyone willing to put in the work to obtain a degree.

Pell Grants are federally funded grants awarded to those who demonstrate a financial need. In the past, the number of institutional grants – awarded by universities to students for a variety of reasons, not only financial, – surpassed those awarded by the government. Last year, however, more government grants were issued. Additionally, the amount available to individual students and families has increased. The government provided, on average, about $3600 in grants for low-income students and allows middle class families to claim education tax credits. In the last year, however, around $3,400 in federal grants were awarded to students at two-year colleges, $6,100 to those at public four-year schools and $16,000 to those attending private four-year institutions.

This increased funding, which students don’t have to pay back, opens up higher education to more students than ever before, despite increasing tuition costs. According to the College Board, the average in-state student at a public four-year university pays over $16,000 a year in tuition and room and board. After the grant money is applied, the balance can be paid through family contributions, work study programs or student loans. A financially savvy student could opt to live at home while attending college, eliminating fees for room and board. This would lower their costs significantly and, in many cases, result in no out of pocket expenses. With the economy forcing many of those in the middle class into uncertain financial conditions, this increase in college funding could not have come at a better time.

Many critics complain this elevated education spending, in conjunction with other investments, created a national budget deficit that will negatively impact future generations. Nothing could be further from the truth. As more and more Americans receive college degrees, this country will be able to once again compete in the global marketplace. Business sectors will grow as the pool of qualified, educated workers grows. The Obama administration has wisely chosen to invest in education and, by doing so, it is investing in America’s future.