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This article, written by Eric Sheninger (a high school principle), discusses the wide-spread standardization of our education system and how it is steadily destroying it. It talks about how the system of standardization is based off the century-old model focused on industrialization, which produces students that lack creativity, fear failure, and work to do only as they are told. The focus is on test scores, viewed as the only determinant of success. Students are leaving school unprepared for the world awaiting them. The solution according to Sheninger lies in intrinsical motivation. If students and teachers are motivated not by test scores or pay raises, but by creativity and innovation, students will find relevancy and meaning in their education.

This is a great piece for anyone interested in the controversy surrounding standardized tests. The article discusses a topic that is very sensitive to parents; testing their preschool year-old children with standardized tests in order to provide information that ranks their preschool among others in the D.C. area. The article includes quotes from concerned parents which adds an interesting narrative side to the piece.

American scientists are sensationalizing (presenting something in an exciting way to get attention, that might not be as accurate) their studies- isn't this what students do? By trying to be the best, we join every club, even if we're not interested, take all the hardest classes and cram for them, try to do everything we can to make ourselves stand out for colleges. At New Trier, even if you're incredibly smart, it doesn't matter unless you're incredibly smart by 'New Trier Standards'. Students are always trying to out do others and themselves, running the risk of burnout, depression/eating disorders, and general unhappiness. Asghar says the reason Miley Cyrus at the VMAs was so shocking was because she was being so textbook American- the only way to get noticed is to be the loudest. We set our standards so high that even when perfection is attained, it's not good enough- not a 4.0 GPA varsity athlete who also does community service is good enough- he is only good enough if he gets full ride to Harvard and becomes a top notch lawyer, too.

While we are trying so hard to have Chinese test scores and mimic hard core education, highly standardized test curriculum--they are trying to mimic ours.

This is a poem written in the 1960's that I thought fit in well with what we were talking about. Shows how long the issue of standardization has been an issue. Makes me think about how school teaches kids that there is always a right and wrong way to do things, when thats not necessarily true.