Media


1. How does the media portray the state of education in the country?


During much of the latter 20th century Americans perceived themselves, and were likewise perceived internationally, as highly educated innovators whose ingenuity was second to none. This was due largely due to our development of the atomic weapon and our incredible military strength. (It is interesting to note that the development of the atomic weapon was greatly helped by many non-Americans, such as Albert Einstein). Our literacy rates, compared with the rest of the world, were extremely high. Since this time, however, the media has noted the apparent decline in American education quality. According to the media, the decreasing education quality in this nation is evidenced by falling test scores and comparatively unchallenging course matter. According to one source, of the roughly 3.5 million fourth grade children enrolled in public or private US schools, only 31 percent are proficient in reading, while 32 percent are proficient in mathematics, 29 percent in science, and 18 percent in American history. Low-income students did half as well. In fact, over half of poor fourth graders failed to show even a basic level of knowledge in reading, science, or history. They also cite our low rates of graduation from high school and our relatively low population of citizens with a professional degree as indicators of a decaying educational system. Seventy percent of public school students graduate on time, and less than half of these students are qualified to attend four-year colleges or universities. Roughly half of black and Hispanic students graduate on time. Twenty-six percent of Americans have a bachelor’s or higher degree. Women earn more associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees and almost half of professional and doctorate degrees. This also points to an additional startling trend in American education- the fact that males score significantly worse on tests, and perform more poorly than their female counterparts in school. There are more women than men enrolled in college today, and as evidenced by the above statistic, there are more women with professional degrees than there are males. Much of the media coverage today that pertains to education reform and legislation has to do with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This act often abbreviated in print as NCLB. It is known as a controversial federal law whose main aim was to set standards that would eventually improve scholastic performance in American primary and secondary schools. Legislators, alarmed at the disturbing statistics about the American education system, put in place laws that increased the standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools. Additionally, NCLB re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The Act was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001, United States Senate on June 14, 2001 and signed into law on January 8, 2002.
According to one source…
“NCLB is known as standards based education reform…formerly known as outcome-based education, which is based on the belief that high expectations and setting of goals will result in success for all students. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. NCLB does not assert a national achievement standard; standards are set by each individual state in order to comply with the 10th amendment… which specifies that powers not granted to the federal government or forbidden to state governments are reserved powers of the individual states. The Act also requires that the schools distribute the name, home phone number and address of every student enrolled to military recruiters, unless the student (or the student's parent) specifically opts out.” (www.wikipedia.org)
The effectiveness of NCLB is a major debate in the nation, and among members of the media.. A primary criticism asserts that NCLB could reduce effective instruction and student learning because it leads teachers to the conclusion that they must “teach to the test” instead of simply presenting material and leaving the rest to the students. This promotes the proverbial “simply playing the game” that many students exhibit, instead of them actually learning the material. Supporters say that the testing required by the NCLB sheds light on poorly performing schools, and helps to narrow the gap between these schools and good ones.
As a whole, the media generally denounces the state of the American education system. There is a lot to criticize, including decaying schools, low teacher salaries, dropout rates, low graduation rates, the low amount of improvements that are actually made with the incredible amount of money spent to fix the system, and the glaring gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students (and schools). As a result the media portrays modern American students as being hugely under prepared compared to their international counterparts. These international students are fluent in up two five or six languages, while many American students are fluent in only one. These students are experts in world geography, while we often can’t even point out the United States of America on a globe.


A startling statistic…..maybe not here in the bubble, but on the outside….
-“Our analysis finds that graduating from high school in the America’s largest cities amounts, essentially, to a coin toss. Only about one-half (52 percent) of students in the principal school systems of the 50 largest cities complete high school with a diploma.
In Cleveland, Indianapolis and Detroit, the numbers are 35%, 31% and 25% respectively.”
An interesting Video…



www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWuvq1APX2w



2. How is education reformed through high tech media?


Americans spend a large amount of money on the education system (According to a 2005 report, the US is tied with Switzerland for the country that spends the most money per student in public schools). In 2001 alone, Americans spent an estimated $92.8 billion on education at the federal level. A significant portion of these funds are used to provide federally funded schools with high tech media devices. These include high speed computers, the internet, copiers, printers, overhead projectors, etc. The hope is that providing these tools to students will allow them to better explore the world around them, while also providing them with the information they need in a short amount of time. There are now computer labs in schools, scores of classes that participate in blogs and web casts, and whole textbooks that are provided to students online. Teachers and administrators are now providing students with vital course material through a technological medium that is more conducive to student use. Teachers are making course material more interesting and engaging for their students. A major goal of this high tech media revolution in schools is to improve student and school performance by getting students more involved in their schoolwork by making the schoolwork itself more engaging.


3. What media events have helped reform education policy?


Much of the sweeping education reform recently enacted in this country is a direct result of media coverage on the quality of American schools. One of the most important “report cards” on the American education system was the report A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform. This 1983 report was written by Ronald Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education. The report contributed to the growing feeling that American schools were not up to snuff, and it started a wave of local, state, and federal reform efforts. The media propogated, and still propogates, the idea that our schools are underfunded and unsuccessful. There are countless news reports about the unfitness of the American education system- every day, a new statistic or claim is given that shows just how unprepared Americas students really are. A major result of the media coverage pointing to bad American schools was the aforementioned NCLB. Another direct result of the coverage has been increased funding for public schools, and increased spending on high tech media.