Article Analysis Essay on "A Nation At Risk" and Chief Justice

Introduction

This article analyses the report presented by Terrell Bell on 'A Nation At Risk.' Reflection and implications caused by the report are highlighted and how they affected the US tactically. Also, a summary of the report is outlined giving clear illustration of the report's stipulation and recommendations.

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The National Commission of Excellence was charted in 1981 by the then-secretary of Education, Terrell Bell. The main commission agenda was to examine the quality of teaching and learning in elementary and secondary education. The commission consisted of members appointed by Bell, and it spent 18 months examining the quality of learning and teaching offered in elementary and secondary schools as compared to other countries. A report known as A Nation at Risk was then drafted in April 1983 based on the results of the commission outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the American education system. The report showed a negative implication that suggested the decline of education and economic superiority of the United States conversely. For the next three decades, educational reforms at the federal, state, and local level focused were then based on the report.

Additionally, the report painted the decline of America due to the inability of its schools to produce students able to compete in the global economy. Contrariwise, the reliance on the report raised concerns on its reliability and efficiency due to the significant variation of the prediction and how the US has transpired since. The report was conversely incorrect with the turnover of events witnessing the exact opposite of its prediction happening. Additionally, the current appreciation of student's social and emotional well-being defers with the 1983 report. The report stipulated that schools should solve social, emotional, political, and personal problems facing students that acted as distractions to their studies.

However, a subsequent study showed students improvement based on 1970-1990 ("A Nation at Risk" 2013). The report led to the introduction of popular reading and math standardization tests in grades 3-8, which have become the sole measure of student's school achievement.

Childress G. (2019), Chief Justice, Governor announced a new push to break school-to-prison pipeline.

This article, written by Greg Childress outlines the current reforms undertaken to ensure decent discipline is portrayed in schools. The article also outlines measure to be taken in order to curb strict disciplinary actions taken by the school administration especially to students of color. Conversely, the article illustrates the change of the school's action in dealing with disciplinary case.

According to Childress (2019) report, current disciplinary actions have dramatically changed with schools referring students to juvenile justice systems. This has led to the establishment of School Justice Partnerships; comprising of law enforcement officials, district attorney juvenile court counselors, judges, school administrators, and teacher. The SJP is meant to reduce school suspensions, expulsions, and school-based referrals to court for misbehavior. This report defers from Terrell Bell report as this report focuses on school discipline and measures undertaken to reduce strict measures on school-misconduct. Contrariwise, Bell's report covered the entire education system and outlined the necessary reforms. Childress (2019) concludes that, in order to reduce the number of indiscipline cases, School Resource Officers should be trained to make important decisions and get receive additional resources to tackle underlying resources.

My Perception of Bell's Report on 'A Nation At Risk.'

Based on the 1981 report, it is clear that Terrell Bell and her commission wanted the US to reform its schools for Nation-wide development and growth. The report had a large impact on the way the education system runs; For instance, the report led to the continual increase of rigor in classrooms, and the adoption of standards set within the report's suggestion by many states, like the adoption of Common Core standards. Additionally, the report led to the implementation of strict requirements for teachers as well as a pay increase. Although the report ("A Nation at Risk" 2013) was helpful, it has led to implementation of misguided efforts and wastage of resources. Decisively, lawmakers should allow Educators to provide the best education to students based on their experience to avoid such results as seen with the 1983 report ("A Nation at Risk" 2013).

Although the report's prediction was deferred with the US preceding achievements, the report is still significant due to worries that its implications are true. This is due to the continual declining number of educational programs in schools as seen in the past years. Conversely, I believe the current system which involves testing students because many students express their passion through diverse ways suggesting the great achievement that can be realized if students are given a chance to act.

References

"A Nation At Risk" (2013), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/policypoints/policypoints-a-nation-at-risk.pdf

Childress G. (2019), Chief Justice, Governor announce a new push to break school-to-prison pipeline. Retrieved from http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/08/13/chief-justice-governor-announce-new-push-to-break-school-to-prison-pipeline/