Is the current learning system effective? Standards based learning is an upcoming and improved system that is beginning to replace the traditional way of learning. Many students are having difficulty absorbing information due to the current cookie-cutter like way of teaching. This is unfortunately affecting students’ success in their education. Currently, students have to mold their own learning techniques into a more generalized version in order to get the grades that they want. Stress from testing and grading on the student population is an obstacle in the way of their academic success and is forcing students to adjust their own learning style in order to obtain knowledge. Many classes are being taught in a less individualized manner where the teachers are simply giving out lectures and tests. Grades are fundamentally defining students’ triumph. Standards based learning resolves these present problems and has high expectations for creating a better learning environment for students.

Standards based learning introduces a system of new teaching styles and techniques in hopes to outperform the original system. Overall, this new system allows students to master the information being given instead of focusing solely on getting good grade. In the article, Current Issues in Education by Danielle Iamarino, she agrees by stating the importance grades have onto students’ minds. “Instructors have reason to believe that their students are out of touch with what their grades really symbolize, why they are even in college, and what responsibilities they have as students” (Iamarino ,4) The current system is flawed and in result, many students are getting hurt or are suffering the consequences. The standards based learning system is now redirecting the center of attention to students compared to teacher-centered learning. Cathy Vatterott, an author and a professor in education, talks about the differences between grading and learning. “Only learning is graded. We use grades to report progress toward mastery of the learning standards— not behavior or working hard. Working is not rewarded with points— it is expected. Everybody works. Work habits and other nonacademic behaviors, still important, are reported as a separate category on the report card.” (Vatterott, 36) Vatterott exclaims that the new learning system will only pass the students that truly understand the material. Standards based learning focuses on individual improvement. It encourages targeted learning rather than the disadvantages of teaching. The new learning process will promote learning through the use of group work and coaching by the teacher. By working together in an encouraging environment the students that have a better grasp of the concept can help other students that are having trouble. The students having the most trouble will get help from the teacher personally. This system allows students to be encouraged to engage in team and group work, which will induce a higher chance of comprehension in the subjects being taught.  Students will be able to work at their own pace to avoid the situation where one student will not have the ability to hold an entire class back if they need that extra time is necessary. 

Undoubtedly, this new system of the standards based learning will be beneficial to the student population. When students find it difficult to take test, standards based learning will benefit those students. These include timed tests, multiple response, multiple choice, and written responses. Vatterott talks about how students are being sanctioned for their grades on tests. “Although they are still learning something, they are punished with a low grade if they don’t get it right away— mistakes made while learning are penalized. Within the traditional grading paradigm, it’s not safe to make mistakes.”(Vatterott, 30-31) She explains that students are trying to grasp information, however when the teacher hassles them with tests it will consequent a bad grade. Due to this, students feel discouraged and it leads them to build up bad feelings towards learning.  There may also be a point on where students think that they may understand the material, however the thought of taking tests can cause some individuals to freeze and be hesitant on their knowledge. Some students need extra time while testing as well as preparing for testing. Every student has the capability to be smart, meaning that they can retain knowledge. Consequently, education categorizes the smart or intelligent students to be the individuals who can memorize material in a certain time frame. Standards based learning essentially takes the problems of stressful testing away, therefore giving the students a more supportive environment to learn rather than an oppressive one. A conclusion for issues in test taking is then resolved by Iamarino who attests for student test grading. “This method of evaluation is particularly relevant to the liberal arts, whose academic objectives lend themselves less to test scores (points) and more to the general betterment of students’ abilities to think and write critically, comprehending and contributing to the world around them in a manner that projects, as the phrase suggests, a measure of “liberation.”(Iamarino, 2) The system is trying to change the way that the tests are being set up. The tests are not about scores or points but about the actual learning that should be taking place in the schools. The change of the new system would lead to a more conceptual student, who can grasp information better than the average student, and allow them to become more successful in life.

“The difference between failure and the honor roll often depends on the grading policies of the teacher. To reduce the failure rate, schools don’t need a new curriculum, a new principal, new teachers, or new technology. They just need a better grading system.” (Miller) A quote from Miller, who is an experienced teacher, what the base of the problem is in school systems. Miller explains that students’ success is determined by how the teacher runs the class. The different grading policies play a massive role for student stress and graduation rates. Changing the way that the grading system works will allow more students to be able to get through school with better comprehension. Standards based learning comes with its own grading style as well. Instead of As, Bs, and Cs, they are replaced with 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s. Munoz and Guskey, both experienced educators, explain the improved grading system that is implemented in standards based learning. “For nonacademic factors such as homework, class participation, effort, and learning progress, teachers typically record numerical marks (e.g., 4 = consistently, 3 = usually, 2 = sometimes, and 1 = rarely)… The key is to ensure that students understand the various performance levels so they know exactly what the mark signifies and what must be done to improve the mark.” (Munoz and Guskey) to reiterate, having a 1 on a report card represents an absence in understanding the given material and a 4 represents a complete understanding of the material. The standards based learning system allows educators to be able to analyze how the student is improving on what they comprehend. For example, if a student were to perform at a 2 in the standards based learning grading criteria, a 4 at the end of the year is analyzed to a vast improvement. If a teacher is able to detect their advancement in the classroom by observing a student’s demonstration of understanding, then the number grade can be increased. Timed tests do not exist in the world of standards based learning. Tests for comprehension can be taken whenever the student feels confident that they understand the material well enough. In order to fully understand what is being taught, students also have the advantage to take tests multiple times if they did not do very well. 

Teachers will have to adapt the most throughout this shift in changing systems. Miller, an experienced teacher, explains the situation with student’s feelings towards learning. “If students are constantly producing and receiving discourse in great volume and variety, and if the teacher is freed from emceeing to circulate and observe, then good evaluation becomes possible without resorting to special activities that detract from learning and make students hate reading and writing. . . . Partner work, small-group discussion and improvisation, the writing workshop, rehearsal and performance, coaching from the teacher—all these reflect back to the learner the effects of his language actions.” (Miller, 112) When standards based learning comes into effect schools, teachers will be obligated to change the way that the classroom is run. New learning principles will create a new environment in which students will begin to work more with each other using discussions and group work with their fellow classmates. The teacher is not completely cut out of the classroom, though instructors will be moving around the classroom to assist the students who are having trouble by guiding them in the right direction. Classes that are currently being taught will have to be completely altered in order to improve. Teachers will have to give up the traditional way of teaching lectures at the front of the room. Paying attention to different learning needs is going to now be as important to the student as it is to the teacher. The expectations of educators are now to meet these needs for the sake of the individual student. In the direction of standards based learning, Iamarino describes actions that may be taken towards teacher’s new responsibilities in the changing classroom. “Premature conclusion of student-teacher dialogues creates gaps in the learning process, making it especially vulnerable to impediment; given that it is the nature of the learning process (and any other process, for that matter), to exist in a constant state of flux, absorbing the features of its environment, it is essential that teachers catch and correct problems before they are manifest.” (Iamarino, 4) Iamarino explains that teachers will be utilizing one-to-one, teacher-to-student appointments. During this meeting the teacher will be explaining and informing the student on what they are doing and how they can improve from this point on. These direct meetings will help the teacher asses where the student is and how they can guide them in the right direction.

Unfortunately, many people disprove of this new change. Parents claim to be upset with the new system, which is slowing down the expansion of the new learning system. Parents truly believe that the old system works at a mediocre level, therefore is no need to change the already set system that has been implemented for many years. Rado, a reporter from Chicago Tribune, had interviewed many parents whose kids are being affected by standards based learning. "It is changing the whole culture, and parents are just not ready for that big leap of change." (Rado) The traditional learning system has never been changed at such an exponential rate, causing parents to be weary for their children’s success using this system. Parents are concerned that neither high schools nor colleges will accept the newly proposed grading system. Rado interviewed a parent with a kid affected by standards based learning. “Her progress guide shows the dates when she met several science standards, but she considers her seventh-grade year in science as a bust. "I haven't learned anything in science," Jessica said.” (Rado) Numerous parents are frustrated with the standards based learning report cards and strongly believe that the proposed grading system is very confusing and does not give enough information. Some people are worried that some students are not even learning anything. Winnie, a reporter from the New York Times, interviews Guskey, a professor of educational psychology, and dicusses the absence of learning. “The dilemma with that system is you really don’t know whether anybody has learned anything,” Dr. Guskey said of grading on a curve. “They could all have done miserably, just some less miserably than others.” (Winnie) This is a problem with standards based learning. Since the new system is based on teacher evaluation, the teacher may have incorrectly checked students off to be right where they need to be where in actuality, the students are behind.

For many years, the original system is all anyone has ever known for many years. To expect individuals to apply a completely brand new system is not plausible. This will definitely cause problems and concerns to the affected individuals. Due to everyone being used to the old system, they are rejecting any type of change. However, with more time for executiong, people will begin to see that this is genuinely benefiting them. When standards based learning arises and gets utilized in more schools, high schools and colleges will adopt the new system. The expanse of the new system is too big for the colleges and high schools to ignore. Koumpilova, a reporter for the twin cities local newspaper has interviewed Marzano, a leading researcher in education, and compare the benefits of the upcoming grading system to the old system. “Standards-based grading is beginning to grow exponentially,” said Robert Marzano, a Colorado based expert on the subject. Maranzo said some districts are doing it right. Those that fail to spell out what the new grades mean are taking a step backwards.” (Koumpilova)  Maranzo explains that colleges and high schools need to start understanding the way that the grades work. They either need to work with the standards based learning system or they are going to fall back. As for the students who are worried about not being able to properly learn or obtain knowledge from this teaching style, As or Bs for recognition will not define the fact that they are intelligent or not. For example, one student may have completed and turned in all the homework assignments, however their test scores reflect a low comprehension level. On the other hand, another student may not have done any of the homework, but their test score reflects that he or she had comprehended the material completely. The student that did all of the homework will come to get a higher score than the student that did not do them. Surprisingly, the student that got the higher points does not understand the material as well as the other student. Standards based learning will fix this situation by being independent form point grading. In this case, the student who truly  comprehends the material better will get the passing grade and the other student will have review the material regardless of homework completion. This will ultimately allow students to realize that it is necessary to have the knowledge in order to move forward.  

Standards based learning can provide plenty of advantages to students instead of using the current technique of the teacher based learning. Standards based learning is a new learning system that focuses on the needs of the students and changes the traditional way that the teachers run their classrooms. Instead of a critical learning atmosphere, this new system is benefitting students by allowing them more time with material and providing a comfortable learning environment. In order to better the grading system, a change in the way that students perceive grades is essential. Students will finally start learning for the sake of learning and realize that grades are not the sole reason to work hard. Lastly, this new change will positively alter teaching methods by working with and meeting students’ needs individually. Standing in front of a classroom and having students adapt to their teaching style is not an effective learning principle. The standards based learning system is superior to the traditional system due to the significant advantages that it offers. 
