Rising to Greatness

The main point of this report is that Iowa needs to commit to improving its education system in order to produce graduates who are more career- and college-ready. In the early 1990s, Iowa led the nation in NAEP and ITBS scores. Today, our scores in fourth grade reading and eighth grade math are equal to (or sometimes below) the national average. Also, the percentage of our eighth graders in advanced math classes is one of the lowest in the country. I was actually very surprised while reading this article because I thought that Iowa still had one of the best education systems in the country. I knew that Governor Branstad introduced a new plan for improving education, but I did not know the extent of the problem.

Some people point to the changing demographics of the state as a factor that contributes to this problem. The number of minority students has increased, along with the number of English Language Learners and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. But one very important point from this article is that demographic change has very little to do with the problem. In fact, the average scores of non-poor, white students of Iowa still fall below the national average of similar students. This shows that the entire student population is being affected by our lackluster education system. However, there are still signficant and unacceptable achievement gaps for minorities, the economically disadvantaged, and also students with disabilities. I was shocked to read that Iowa has the largest gap in achievement between non-disabled and disabled students.

The root cause of the problem is that Iowans, as demonstrated by my own incorrect understanding, have become complacent about education because of our prior successes. In the meantime, many other states have been improving their education systems and testing scores while Iowa has stagnated. Now that changes will be taking place in our education system, my students and I will be greatly affected if I teach in Iowa. I've often considered moving, but after reading this report, I see there is a sense of urgency for improvement here in my own state.

Because reading and math seem to be the focus of this article, I'm sure there will be a renewed emphasis placed on these subjects in order to boost performance and get more students on the advanced track. This may result in less time for other content areas, so I will have to be aware of this in order to creatively integrate the subjects. It seems like there could be even more emphasis on testing, so I will have to make sure I support my students' learning and innovation by not simply "teaching to the test." I will also have to work hard to accommodate all students in order to lessen the achievement gaps. By thoroughly understanding how to implement Response to Intervention, I can help to increase achievement for students with disabilities. Also, including technology in my classroom whenever possible will be very important as children need these skills in our global economy. Finally, high expectations for my students will be needed in order to help them break out of mediocrity.