Definition of Student SuccessDefining student success is something educators, students, parents and even politicians have been trying to do since schools have existed. They have long argued over what success means and how best to measure it. With more and more focus being placed on student success as a measure for school and teacher success, it has become an increasingly important question to address. 1. …… Perhaps the most traditional method of measuring student success is grades. Grades measure how well the student completes work and if they show mastery of the material. If the teacher grades on a curve, then the question is also "how well did they do relative to their peers?" Grades would be a great indicator if every teacher was the same and every assignment was completely objective. 2. …… Another measure of success is the ability of a student to progress towards a goal, whatever that goal may be. Such is the measure of progress in subjects such as math, where a student progresses from simple addition and subtraction to complicated geometry and calculus. Students are successful if they build from the basic to the complex. 3. …… Many argue that another measure of student success is seeing the student do something that they couldn't previously do or perhaps do it faster or more completely than they could previously. This is a particularly popular model for success among special needs students who would not get good grades in regular classes or couldn't keep pace with their peers. 4. …… One of the most popular methods for determining student success is to subject students to a series of standardized tests designed to test benchmark knowledge levels. Students and their schools are then judged based on how they score when compared with state and nationwide averages. Often such importance is placed on these tests, that educators complain about having to teach the test rather than the material. 5. …… Since the educational system is essentially to prepare people for the working world, many make the case for the students' success in the world after school that defines their success in the educational system. Students may not do well within the confines and limitations of the standardized schooling system but excel in the job market largely because they managed to retain many non-quantifiable lessons.
Ex 1. Give your comments on each method of measuring student success mentioned in the text. Do you find them effective enough? Which one do you consider the most (the least) effective? Bear out your statement. Text B Read the text below and match each paragraph with the appropriate heading. A. Saving for the Future B. Basic Skills C. Accountability and Responsibility D. Learn the Value of Money E. Definition F. Balancing a Schedule g. It’s All Who You Know H. Experiencing Workplace Culture The Effect of Part-Time Jobs on Students While academics are the main focus of college students, many will also spend their college years in part-time employment. In the report "Student Employment and Higher Education: Empiricism and Contradiction," members of the American Educational Research Association reported that more than 50 percent of students attending four-year colleges work part time. The reasons for working may vary--earning funds for tuition or spending money--but many benefits exist beyond the paycheck. 1. …… There is no standard definition of what constitutes part-time employment, but most employers consider part-time employees to be those who work less than 40 hours per week. Some companies restrict a part-time worker's hours to 30 per week. Nearly all part-time employees receive hourly pay. They work in shifts that range from a few hours to a full day's work, but may not work five days per week. Part-time employment often consists of evening and weekend hours to augment full-time workers who fill weekday shifts. 2. …... Classroom learning is important, but the culture of workplaces and offices are hard to impart within the classroom. Holding down a regular position outside the classroom will allow students to gain firsthand experience in office culture and politics, which will be helpful upon graduation and their first full-time job. 3. …… Balancing a part-time job while attending classes full-time will force a student to balance their schedule. A March 2009 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says students with part-time work reduce the time spent on homework, sleeping, socialization and life maintenance by 84 percent. A student employee will need to learn how to not let the decrease on time spent on studying show in her academic performance. 4. ……. In today's weak economy, it is even more crucial for students to make as many valuable connections as possible. Working part time for a company or organization will allow students to network outside their social circles, giving them valuable recommendations and contacts for their full-time job search. 5. …… According to the report, "Values, skills, emotional maturity, personal identity and integrity are fostered through employment experiences." Student-employees will learn to be accountable for their actions in a non-classroom or home environment, and experience how responsibility is delegated and evaluated in an office. 6. …… Many part-time jobs will give students the opportunity to learn administrative skills, such as phone and email etiquette, office electronics troubleshooting, and meeting manners. Gaining such skills while in school will place a student-employee ahead of the curve when they enter the full-time workforce. 7. …… Part-time jobs help students contribute to their college expenses, which can help you and your family during the economic crisis. Although some of their money should go towards entertainment and recreation, you should still find that their contribution to their spending money is helpful to your budget. Your teens might learn to keep a budget of their own and save 10 to 20 percent of their income each month, which should end up being a significant contribution to their college tuition by the time they graduate high school. 8. …… Teens might learn the importance of earning money by having part-time jobs. They should understand that they do not automatically have disposable incomes and that money comes from hard work. Encouraging them to spend money on some of their necessities, including clothes and gasoline, can show them that their day-to-day choices have a financial impact. They might begin to shop sales and look for better deals on the items they want. Having a job should demonstrate to them that smart shopping can make their money last longer.
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