The Efficiencies of Educational Policies Essay (Article)

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Updated: Feb 10th, 2024

Why I Changed My Mind

In her article, Diane Ravitch (2010) discusses the inefficiencies of the existing educational policies adopted by the government of the United States. In particular, the author notes that currently testing is used as a tool for evaluating the progress of students and the work of schools. It is possible to argue that this method can give only a misleading impression about the level of knowledge and skills that learners have (Ravitch, 2010, p. 21). The key danger is that students may receive high test scores, but they will lack the skills that will be vital to their further education and professional activities.

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This issue is important because it can have profound implications for millions of learners. In particular, this policy can shape the way in which students’ work is evaluated. In my opinion, the emphasis on testing is not entirely justified. The main problem is that learners are trained to pass multiple-choice tests. In many cases, they can only answer certain types of questions that are included in such examinations (Ravitch, 2010). However, they may fail to develop such competencies as critical thinking and problem solving. Additionally, this policy can undermine the work of schools. In particular, these educational organizations can lower the assessment standards to show that the academic performance of students has improved (Ravitch, 2010, p. 21). This policy can produce only the illusion of improvements. Thus, in the long term, such activities can undermine the quality of education.

Overall, this discussion shows that the use of tests is not the best way of ensuring the accountability of schools. This approach can lead only to superficial changes that do not improve the learning activities of students.

Rethinking Schools

The article written by Chester Finn (2013) is aimed at examining the key problems that affect public schools in the United States. In particular, the author mentions such issues as the competency of teachers, HR policies of educational organizations, and high dropout rates. This issue is of great importance to several stakeholders like students, parents, educators, and policy-makers. There is no single solution that can be useful for overcoming these challenges, but it is necessary to create alternative pathways that will enable learners to access high-quality education.

The author believes that more attention should be paid to the preparation of teachers and policies of schools. Many schools in America do not have the opportunity to select the most competent educators due to the lack of resources (Finn, 2013, p. 48). Such educational organizations cannot efficiently engage students. It is one of the reasons why dropout rates are very high. Nevertheless, there are many alternatives methods that can raise the quality of education in the United States. For instance, one can mention the work of charter schools that enable students to take online courses (Finn, 2013, p. 49). Apart from that, charter schools help those learners who dropped out due to some reasons (Gore, 2004). The primary role of such organizations is that they can assist students who are not entirely satisfied with public education. At the same time, the government should introduce the reforms that are needed for improving the work of schools funded by the state.

This discussion indicates that educators and legislators should develop complex policies that can be helpful for improving the work of modern schools. In turn, it is critical to support families by enabling them to choose between various educational organizations.

The Plagiarism Plague

This article highlights various aspects of such problems as plagiarism and academic dishonesty. In particular, Raymond Schroth (2012) discusses various factors that motivate learners to act in this way. Moreover, he examines the ways in which teachers and college administrators should change their practices to eliminate this phenomenon. In my opinion, plagiarism takes its origins in the attitudes of students who are willing to achieve success at any cost without considering the inherent value of education, but in many cases, it is caused by the inefficiencies of existing educational policies and practices.

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In his article, the author refers to various surveys indicating that the problem of plagiarism has become very widespread. For instance, he mentions the activities of those people who write academic papers for many students (Schroth, 2012, p. 12). Such people can write essays or even theses for hundreds of learners. Additionally, the scholar provides various examples showing that students often want to take credit for the achievements of other people. For example, some of them may ask other people to take their SAT examinations (Schroth, 2012, p. 11). They do not regard education as one of their top priorities. They forget that this academic dishonesty does not enable them to develop qualities that can later contribute to their success. In turn, educators can address this problem if they take several steps. In particular, they should make a more extensive use of the anti-plagiarism software. Furthermore, the administrators of colleges and universities should adopt a zero-tolerance policy on such academic misdemeanors.

One can argue that plagiarism undermines the value of education in a concealed way because many people may take credit for the work and achievements of other individuals. In turn, it is necessary to adopt various methods that will prompt students to work on their assignments without trying to deceive educators.

The Role of School Counselors in Meeting Students’ Mental Health Needs

The research article by Lorraine DeKruyf, Richard Auger, and Shannon Trice-Black (2013) shows that school counselors are supposed to assume new roles to promote the well-being and development of learners. The authors explain the reasons why current practices are not adequate for helping students who may struggle with some psychological problems. The chief duty of counselors is to act as educational leaders who monitor the performance of students and identify possible deviations at the early stages.

At first, the researchers note that approximately 75 percent of pupils, who are affected by psychological disorders, cannot receive appropriate assistance (DeKruyf et al., 2013, p. 272). Additionally, in many cases, schools make use of outside referrals. In other words, students receive services from professionals who are not employed by educational organizations (DeKruyf et al., 2013, p. 274). Admittedly, there are several barriers that should not be overlooked. For instance, many counselors can lack the clinical skills that are essential for assisting learners (Sink, 2010). Nevertheless, this difficulty can be overcome with the help of various training programs. The main detail is that counselors can uncover potential problems if they discuss the behavior of students with teachers. Additionally, they can make educators more informed about possible problems faced by children or adolescents. This approach is vital to protecting learners.

The problem that has been identified by the authors requires the cooperation of different professionals such as school administrators, counselors, teachers, and parents. The duty of counselors is to assume the role of educational leaders who can promote the welfare of students. However, this goal can be achieved if future counselors receive appropriate training to become skillful healthcare professionals. Furthermore, they should develop strategies for cooperating with educators.

Reference List

DeKruyf, L., Auger, R., & Trice-Black, S. (2013). The Role of School Counselors in Meeting Students’ Mental Health Needs: Examining Issues of Professional Identity. ASCA, 16(5), 271-279.

Finn, C. (2013, October 15). Rethinking High School. National Review, pp. 48-50.

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Gore, R. (2004). Successful Inclusion Strategies for Secondary and Middle School Teachers: Keys to Help Struggling Learners Access the Curriculum. New York, NY: Corwin Press.

Ravitch, D. (2010, March 9). Why I Changed My Mind About School Reform. The Wall Street Journal, pp. 20-24.

Schroth, R. (2012, May 14). The Plagiarism Plague. America, pp. 14-16.

Sink, C. (2010). Mental Health Interventions for School Counselors. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "The Efficiencies of Educational Policies." February 10, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-efficiencies-of-educational-policies/.

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