Many Subjects not Included
The No Child Left Behind Act emphasizes improving scores on Reading and Math, but what about the other subjects? Because teachers are so focused on raising test scores, they often lose emphasis on teaching other subjects that are not on the standardized tests, such as science, social sciences, and electives such as music and physical education. According to the New York Times, a survey by the Center on Education Policy, 71 percent of the nation's 15,000 school districts have reduced the hours spent on subjects such as history and music, in order to make more time for reading and math (Dillon.) This concept, known as narrowing the curriculum, has become standard in many areas across the United States.
What is going to happen to these students when they move on to higher education? These students are going to be behind in a plethora of important subjects. Sure, No Child Left Behind is attempting to help improve students, but only in two subjects. If someone would look at Indiana's Core 40 Requirements, which tells what a student needs to graduate from high school, the first thing they would notice is the amount of classes they need per subject. English requires eight credits to graduate, which is the most in one subject. Math, Social Studies, and Science all require six credits each. If these three subjects are equal in terms of credits to graduate, then why aren't they equal in terms of NCLB? If an Indiana student has little to no prior experience in science or social studies by the time they get to high school, they will have a very hard time with these subjects.
What is going to happen to these students when they move on to higher education? These students are going to be behind in a plethora of important subjects. Sure, No Child Left Behind is attempting to help improve students, but only in two subjects. If someone would look at Indiana's Core 40 Requirements, which tells what a student needs to graduate from high school, the first thing they would notice is the amount of classes they need per subject. English requires eight credits to graduate, which is the most in one subject. Math, Social Studies, and Science all require six credits each. If these three subjects are equal in terms of credits to graduate, then why aren't they equal in terms of NCLB? If an Indiana student has little to no prior experience in science or social studies by the time they get to high school, they will have a very hard time with these subjects.
The above comic greatly shows what some schools have done. These schools are pumping in reading, writing, and math into these students, but they are not allowed to even think of other subject matter. The little girl looking out the window wants to leave the classroom in order to explore the other subject areas that are not being taught.
The caps on the heads of the students represent the three subjects (math, language arts, and reading) that are being pushed on them. The information is being force-fed into them so they can spew it out on a test. The blinders on the students represent the amount of focus these subjects are getting. Because of these blinders, they are not able to see any other subjects. The window represents opportunity. Outside the window are subjects that the children are not being taught, such as science, the arts, and physical education. The child looking out the window shows enthusiasm for going outside and exploring other subjects. The teacher is informing the student that she is not allowed to even look out the window, or she will be "left behind." The girl looking outside is eager to learn the subjects outside the window, but these subjects are no longer offered during the school day.
The caps on the heads of the students represent the three subjects (math, language arts, and reading) that are being pushed on them. The information is being force-fed into them so they can spew it out on a test. The blinders on the students represent the amount of focus these subjects are getting. Because of these blinders, they are not able to see any other subjects. The window represents opportunity. Outside the window are subjects that the children are not being taught, such as science, the arts, and physical education. The child looking out the window shows enthusiasm for going outside and exploring other subjects. The teacher is informing the student that she is not allowed to even look out the window, or she will be "left behind." The girl looking outside is eager to learn the subjects outside the window, but these subjects are no longer offered during the school day.
