Preventing Academic Failures in School Systems Today

Preventing Academic Failures in School Systems Today
Jeannette Villatoro
Learning and the Brain BOJ1047A
Cindy Hopper
December 20, 2010















Preventing Academic Failures in School Systems Today


Education is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, productive life. A valuable education promotes personal growth and success. Students must be able to express themselves readily in a learning environment in addition to having positive stimulation encourage the motivation that is necessary for a good education to commence. However, the school systems today are failing and the students are failing along with it. In order to elicit improvement in the school systems and prevent academic failures in school systems today, brain-based learning must be implemented to uphold an innovative curriculum, incorporate impactful instruction, induce a favorable environment for students, and create more effective assessments to measure these mechanisms within the school.

An ominous reality is that despite the acceptance of the importance of education, school systems are failing in dramatic numbers. According to Basken, “at least 24,470 U.S. public schools, or 27 percent of the national total, did not meet the federal requirement for "adequate yearly progress" in 2004-2005” (Basken, 2006, p.1). These daunting statistics are gauged by the overwhelming failure of student assessments in many states. Less than a third of fourth grade students in our country are proficient in reading, math, science, and history (Basken, 2006). Low-income students have a less chance of being proficient in these subjects and schools with less resources are in dire distress in terms of student scores (Basken, 2006). It is a significant dilemma that the United States is facing and one that cannot be ignored. If our schools continue to fail, we will be producing uneducated, ill-prepared adults. The school systems must be revamped through a severe deconstruction process so that the understanding of how and why the school systems and students are failing can be understood and a new method of execution can be developed.

Curriculum

The curriculum objective in schools today do not reflective the needs of the brain. Learning is based solely from the intent of the lesson plans and the teaching maneuvers that aid in incorporating these lessons into the classroom. This is why curriculum, the prescribed course of studies, is the most important element in the classroom. Within the environment of a school, the curriculum serves as the foundation for assisting students to meet the learning and developmental standards of that school (Braskamp, et al., 2006). The curriculum holds the learning objectives of the school along with the necessary values needed to produce successful students (Braskamp, et al., 2006). What the students learn and how this information is learned is directly related to the curriculum and the execution of this curriculum within the school. Because the school systems are perceptibly failing, the curriculums of most schools need an extreme evaluation and possible overhaul.

The brain is essentially programmed to seek out new and exciting information and apply it appropriately. According to Jensen, the brain is on a “quest for curiosity, affiliation, challenge, and creature comforts” (Jensen, 2008, p.203). A brain-based curriculum allows this kind of learning to take place within the classroom. The workings of the brain and how it functions, learns, and adapts to new information is vital to providing an effective curriculum.

In order to restore a structure of better curriculum within a school setting, the school must recognize the importance of professional development and how this is directly associated with any curriculum. Teachers must have resources to continually develop curriculum standards that meet the goals of the school. Furthermore, support must be provided to help new teachers reach the expectations of students and highly-skilled teachers should be available to mentor these new teachers throughout this process (Ali, et al., 2010). Keeping an ideal of professional development centered on curriculum will manufacture the most desirable results for the school, professionals, and especially the students.

The brain can process information in various ways. Although brain dominance is a theory that is readily accepted, studies have shown that most learners use both sides of the brain to process specific information (Jensen, 2008). The right-side of the brain is perceived to handle emotions, creativity, and intuition (Gibson, 2010). It is highly important for these aspects to be integrated with the more analytical processing that goes on in the left side of the brain. Strategies that are brain-based will ensure that all processing is congruent and working synonymously. Because artistic expression is an area of learning that is significant with the brain’s functioning, any successful curriculum will involve artistic components. As stated by Spears and Wilson, “art is an important part of brain-based education in that it provides many learners with avenues of expression and emotional conduits for learning and retaining information” (Spears & Wilson, 2009, p.4). Art should be offered as an impartial learning experience, but art should also fit into to a basic curriculum of study. Enhancing typical subjects with art will entice the brain to accept the information more readily. This can be done through writing, drawing, painting, or musical art. By integrating art into the curriculum, students will be allowed to express themselves in a creative manner through their own personal talents (Jensen, 2008). This will not only boost the confidence of each student, but also makes the absorption of the curriculum more possible.

Social fluency and personal development are key aspects to any curriculum. Most schools fail to recognize the social and personal components to a successful learning process. The students must be able to learn interactively because of the social aspect of the brain. Allowing students to learn with one another as well as from one another will stimulate a learning growth that welcomes more diverse and innovative ways of processing information and integrating the environment within the learning process. Additionally, the personal development of students must be at the forefront of any curriculum. Self-actualization is a need of each human being that must be realized throughout the stages of growth and learning (Jensen, 2008). Helping the students learn how to manage stress, be physically active, and reflect the learned skills in a classroom with personal motivation and experience will provide the necessary elements of a well-received curriculum.

Information fluency and scientific inquiry are important mechanisms of a successful curriculum. Students must be able to access comprehensive information and be able to apply this information in everyday life. Cognitive manipulation is a strong contender for successful information processing within the brain (Jensen, 2008). Students should be taught how to critique, analyze, sort, and synthesize the information being presented. Likewise, the ability to rationalize gives students the capability of processing the information given. Scientific inquiry involves questioning information, developing experiments, and strategizing solutions (Jensen, 2008). The assimilation of these processes is essential for a well-rounded curriculum to succeed through brain-based learning strategies.

Instruction

In addition to curriculum and what is being taught, how it is being taught is an important ingredient to successful learning. Failing schools do not have enough focus on the instruction that is given to students and the delivery in which it is being made. The teacher is a bridge between the information and how it is perceived by the students. Therefore, the way in which the information is instructed makes a huge impact on the way the student learns. How the brain receives and processes information must be understood and intertwined with the instructional techniques of the teacher.

Instruction should lead the students to motivational learning. Learning in a peripheral setting is encouraging to the brain. Taking a class outside of the classroom to learn as well as allowing students to formulate groups in the classroom are positive instructional techniques. Classroom instruction that is infused with brain-based strategies goes beyond the traditional approach of teaching. Instruction is provided in a manner that excites the students, prepares them for learning, and aids the students in retaining the information and using it in the most purposeful manner possible. Teachers must be leaders who are relatable to the students and effective presenters of information (Waren-Gross, 2009).

Orchestrated immersion is a way in which the instructor can create an environment in which each student is fully immersed in the learning experience and responds positively to this way of teaching (Cohen, 2008). The overall educational experience is the crux of the brain-based learning process. Each student must be comfortable in their surroundings and those surroundings should be stimulating to the brain.

Relaxed alertness is another requirement for brain-based instruction to be regarded by students in the intended method (Cohen, 2008). This ensures that all students are content and unperturbed in the learning environment. Students should have no fear of social pressures or academic failures. Fear can be a dilapidating force in any student’s life, hindering the progression of learning. Studies have shown that fear is a strong factor in the perceptions of most students as to why they do not get better grades in school (Ali, et al., 2010). Students should have challenging instruction that arouses the natural processes of the brain.

Active processing must also take place for brain-based learning to proceed in any classroom environment. Teachers must formulate brain-based instruction that revolves around the concepts of how the brain processes information (Cohen, 2008). Students must be able to consolidate the instructions given and to internally process this information as necessary to understand the material and eventually apply it in the proper format.

Environment

The environment that a student is thrust into is an aggressive aspect of the learning process. A student is expected to learn in and from their school environment. This environment is an important part of a student’s life, as they are an active participant in this environment for most of their life. A student will spend over four thousand hours in kindergarten through third grade classrooms (Bullard, 2010). Yet, in most schools in the United States, this environment is more difficult to adjust to than it is a positive stimulation to learning. In order for schools to change the failing rates for students, the environment needs to be critically assessed.

One’s environment and perception of their environment can affect mood, stability, health, social relationships, and attitudes about self (Jensen, 2008). In order to encapsulate a positive learning environment that produces successful learners, schools must understand how the environment is directly responsible for failing schools and students. Social pressures, inability to fit in, incapacity to understand the curriculum, and failed support are all unfortunate realities in today’s schools. Making the learning environment balanced with positive social and academic influences is the foundation for brain-based learning.

Children’s brains are rapidly developing throughout the growing process (Bullard, 2010). Furthermore, children’s experiences are limited to their surroundings. Consequently, the environment we provide for students has an incredible impact on how that child’s brain develops (Bullard, 2010). The developmental process of a student is coupled with the environment that student is learning in. A student must have an environment free from socially and academically related stress and fear.

Social stressors are rampant in schools everywhere. This is not an issue that can be completely eradicated, as social pressures are a common factor of socialization, particularly in the educational environment. It is estimated that twenty three percent of students in elementary school have been bullied several times or more (Zhang, et al., 2009). This alarming statistic shows that the school environment that students of today are accustomed can be abusive and disorderly. Students must cope with this social depression while trying to achieve academic goals. Most likely, the latter objective is not met and the student suffers and eventually fails as reflected in school assessments nationwide. Schools must continually present support for students that are having difficulty fitting in to the social spectrum. There are several ways in which this can be attained. Schools should present solutions to social dilemmas and promote an environment of encouragement, kindness, and success. Students within a classroom should be equipped with real life tools that combat bullying, aggressiveness, name-calling, or hateful behavior. Students should be fortified with the desire to get along with other classmates. Teachers should regularly incorporate group learning and interactive study within the classroom to aid in social harmony.

Academic peril is a reality in most schools in the United States. What is being taught is not efficient for the needs of the students and seemingly does not reflect the importance of brain-based learning in most school settings. Students are not simply not learning and this perpetuates a lack of achievement that will only hinder the academic and personal growth of each student. This dilemma is marked by the importance of an academically rich environment in school. To achieve such an environment, teachers and students must be able to vigorously synchronize learning goals. Students must be fully prepared to receive information while also having support with how to manage this information. Because not every student learns identically, attention needs to be paid to each student and their unique way of learning. The students should also have understanding of their learning style and how to implement this style within the classroom. A student’s shortcomings should be sensitively challenged and their talented attributes should have the ability to steadily progress and shine throughout the brain-based learning process. Overall, understanding that a student’s surroundings manipulate the learning process will help schools to prevent any inhabitants from affecting brain-based learning to ensue.

Assessment

Perhaps one of the most concerning issues in the school systems today is the method of assessing progress and achievement. Although it is clear that many variables are involved with failing schools and students, it is also evident that the techniques used to measure the productivity and achievements within a school are lacking. Assessments of students are generalized and rarely improved, thereby creating a negative impact on the entire school system. If assessments are not effective, damaging outcomes will result that impacts all areas of the learning spectrum. Individual student assessments will be compromised as well as classroom, teacher, and school valuations.

Accountability is a first step in analyzing the assessment process. According to Michigan State University, “establishing accountability standards for policymakers, teachers and administrators, community members, and parents, as well as students” will help progress the quality of assessments (Michigan State University, 2008, p. 2). Assessment standards should be high but attainable, and alternative testing methods should be in place for students in need. District-wide transformation is necessary to align the common goals of schools and the scores that are desired as well as required on the state level. There should be a cohesiveness that trickles down the hierarchy of formal education. As Michigan State University purports, it is strictly an overall issue of “establishing accountability systems that provide schools with explicit goals for increasing student achievements, incentives to take on challenging reforms, and consequences for persistent low performance” (Michigan State University, 2008, p.2). In doing so, quality assessments will be in place to correctly measure the progress of students and schools throughout the nation.

All students do not learn equally, yet all assessments seem to reflect this fallacy. Assessing the advancement of students should be a carefully assembled procedure in which the school, educators, and students have an active participation. Students should be aware of the goals that are imposed upon them and should have support in formulating personal educational goals of their own. This allows each student to have power over their own achievements and actively work toward those goals. Parents need to participate in the education of their children more readily. Teachers must welcome parent involvement in a more aggressive way that does not deflect the importance of family support nor diminish the role that parents play in the education of their children. Assessments should reflect the abilities of the child accurately. Pre-assessments will help to decipher any inconsistencies that may be apparent when assessing a student on information they have retained. Many factors can affect a student’s score such as health, personal issues, and confidence. By implementing brain-based learning techniques throughout the learning process, educators have more access to a student’s needs and more knowledge about each student and what issues may arise.

Because brain-based learning implements the way in which the brain functions and processes information, assessments and testing should ideally focus on the brain. Ultimately, students need to be exposed to multiple assessment methods (Spears & Wilson, 2009). Self-assessments will jumpstart student’s brains and provide unwavering preparation for continued evaluations. A brain-friendly environment requires brain-focused assessments to allow for the continual improvements that brain-based learning endorses.

Disparagingly, schools nationwide are on a path of failure despite the acceptance of educational importance in the United States. Education is pressed upon a child early on in life and continues throughout adulthood, closely interwoven into all areas of life. Schools must recognize these daunting failures and incorporate lesson plans that stimulate the learning process. With brain-based learning as the main objective in schools, incredible improvements can be made. Through providing a challenging curriculum, powerful and penetrating classroom instruction, and a nurturing environment combined with effective assessments, failing school system can be recovered while reviving the integrity of education for our country, school systems, and most importantly, the students we thrive to educate.

References

Ali, R., Hukamdad, Ghazi, S., Shahzad, S., & Khan, H. (2010). The impact of brain based learning on students academic achievement. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research In Business, 2(2), 542-556. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=2129002581&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309& VName=PQD.

Basken, P. (2006). States have more schools falling behind. Bloomberg News, Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032801794.html.

Braskamp, L., Trautvetter, L., & Ward, K. (2006). Putting students first: how colleges develop students purposefully. Retrieved from http://www.northwestern.edu/studentaffairs/conference/chapters/Chapter_4.pdf.

Cohen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning. Retrieved from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning.

Gibson, K. (2010). Learning styles and hemispheric dominance - right or left brain: which is dominant in your family? Retrieved from http://www.leapingfromthebox.com/art/kmg/learningstyles2.html.

Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press.

Michigan State University (2008). Turning around failing schools. Retrieved from http://www.epc.msu.edu/publications/accountability/failingschools.htm.

Spears, A., & Wilson, L. (2009). Brain-based learning highlights. Retrieved from http://www.itari.in/categories/brainbasedlearning/DefinitionofBrain-BasedLearning.pdf.

Waren-Gross, L. (2009). How does a failing school stop failing? Knowledge Quest, 38(2), 40-43. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1928295661&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

Zhang, H., & Cowen, D. (2009). Mapping academic achievement and public school choice under the no child left behind legislation. Southeastern Geographer, 49(1), 24-40. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1667640731&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD.