The New York Times online edition messed up the dashes in the following, so I am providing a corrected version here:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebat...helpful?permid=41&offset=3#comment41Steven A. Sylwester
Eugene, Oregon
July 22nd, 2010 12:46 am
The issue of National Education Standards is meaningless without an overriding philosophical basis. GWBush's "No Child Left Behind" program had a philosophical basis, but it was wrong-headed in that its focus was entirely on the bottom end. An appropriate philosophical basis for meaningful National Education Standards would be: "Every Child 21st-Century-Literate at No Less Than Grade Level While Being Actively Challenged and Fully Facilitated to Achieve Personal Potentials in All Core Academics."
The question of definitions then becomes important. Define these terms: 1) 21st-Century Literate, 2) No Less Than Grade Level, 3) Actively Challenged, 4) Fully Facilitated, 5) Achieve Personal Potentials, and 6) All Core Academics. Plainly, the consequence of creating a philosophical basis is that the National Education Standards then become more of an adult taxpayers' commitment to excellence than anything else � and that is how it should be.
The end result of what I propose would benefit everyone, including the academically gifted students whose needs have long been ignored.
For example, I have proposed a nationwide three-year public high school for young people who are exceptionally gifted and joyful in mathematics and the physical sciences. My proposed school is called "NASA Academy of the Physical Sciences" (NAPS), and it would be located on the campuses of 150 public research universities across the U.S. at its founding. Eventually, however, every public research university in the nation could have a NAPS site on its campus. NAPS is described in thorough detail at:
http://nasa-academy-of-the-physical-sciences.blogspot.com/I participate in a forum regarding NAPS at:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....7811/Proposal_NASA_Academy_of_the_P.htmlThe point being this: National Education Standards that do not address the needs of all students � including the needs of those students who are academic geniuses � are worthless standards in my opinion. The American commitment is to provide free public education to its citizens for thirteen years from kindergarten through high school. What does that mean? My argument is that thirteen years of free education is the commitment, not access to a standard public school curriculum through the 12th grade level. A whole lot changes if my argument prevails. For starters, a school like NAPS happens � immediately! � and at government expense!
At the top end, the National Education Standards should be simply this: Students Must Be Advanced to the Academic Level at Which They Can Succeed While Being Challenged.
Steven A. Sylwester
