Altering the Texas School System
Our School System has changed many times during the course of my schooling period up to now. It is now crucial for us to have to pass the new TAKS exam in order to graduate. This exam can either make us or break us. It is an issue that should not get in the way of graduation for students. Something so small - a standardized test grade-will outline our future of going on to college. Also, the school system needs to take time to revise how they can make changes to the points received in Advanced Placement courses equal to those students who are taking College Prep or regular classes. In all the years before students would have to master the TAAS exam at the end of every year to pass on to the next grade level. Once you got to the eleventh grade and mastered the test you were good to go your senior year when you were ready to apply to colleges of your choice. Also, the TAAS only covered reading, writing, grammar, and math. As long as you took your time and followed the directions the test was pretty simple and to the point. Well, as luck would have it the school system changed from the TAAS to the TAKS exam this school year. Now, the juniors of 2003-2004 will have to master English, M
5 3points added to their averages. Many students are 2having a hard time adjusting to the new ways of answering the questions thus, leading to a higher percentage of students who may not be able to graduate at their proposed dates due to failure. It is not fair to see students who challenge their education and strive to be the best be cheated out of the goal that they have been trying to reach of being in the top ten percent of their class by students who breezed through high school without any worries. Let alone they will be assured a college education that they deserve. Students taking AP and Dual classes are being cheated out of their class ranking. Perhaps an AP student receives a "B" on their report card. Now if we take the exam as a benchmark to see where we stand then there is no argument. These areas are being tested in a completely different method. Students have to now use critical thinking skills in order to complete and pass the test. The school system seriously needs to figure out how they can change the amount of points that are given to the AP and Dual courses. By making this change students who deserve to be at the top for all their endless hard work will be recognized and rewarded. Another problem that the school system should consider revising is the amount of credits and/or points Advanced Placement and Dual enrollment students receive for their classes. If the TAKS is the only test we worry about we will end up just making sure we master only the required material and not worry about any other skills. It is a shame to see students who have worked so hard to maintain good averages in AP and Dual courses be beaten out in the ranking average of students who have probably forgotten how to study and what homework is.
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