Rigor

Just left a really great meeting of  the high school campus improvement team.  Teachers and parents assembled to review data outcomes, board goals, and write an improvement plan that makes a difference for our high school students.  I loved it!

They (we) spent a lot of time talking about SAT, ACT, higher academic rigor, etc.  How do we make that happen for our students?  How do we get higher academic achievement?  We have the staff to do it.  We have kids that are capable.  So, why isn't it happening?

Back up a step.  Who is responsible for the learning a student achieves?  Yes, teachers are an important variable.  Yes, parents are an important variable.  Yes, the community and culture are important variables.  But, the bottom line is, unless students understand that their own hard work and effort are part of this equation, it is not going to happen.  Parents can harp, teachers can teach, but only the student can actually learn for the student.

There are a host of strategies we as educators can implement.  There are a host of educational learning environmental components we can provide.  But, achieving excellence in learning is not something a teacher can do by himself/herself.  After all that, it is up to the kid.  We cannot learn for the students.  In fact, if that were the case, looking at our high school faculty, all students would be masters, and knock the top out of the college entrance exams and state standardized tests.  Knowledge and learning do not accidentlally happen by osmosis.  It happens when a student internalizes the learning, works at learning, and learns to learn.

Parents and community can really help.  Value your child's education more than you value whether they start Friday night.  Value your child's education more than you value their wardrobe, their cell phone, their Facebook account, their car, their friends.  Expect them to learn, to work at learning, and to perform.

Help us fight the spread of a non-existent neurosis labeled "senioritis."  High schools are the only institutions on the planet where increased age, increased experienced, and increased knowldge somehow equals decreased performance and expectations.  The senior year should be the culmination of learning, not the year to goof off.  Want a child who is succesful?  Demand their success their senior year.  Demand that they enroll in and excell at the course work that is most challenging.  They are ready. And doing so will make them more ready for all that life is yet to offer.

We can provide the rigor.  We can promote student success, but alone we cannot achieve student success.  Help us.