The Definition of Student Success: What Does it Mean to You?
By Ken Messersmith
5/21/07
The report “A New Day for Learning,” recently released by the Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force, argues that we must redefine the school day if we are to improve student achievement in the United States. The authors of the report, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, lay out five elements of their proposed new learning system.
The first element states that we must “redefine what student success means beyond the acquisition of basic skills, support the time it takes to experience success, and develop sophisticated ways to measure it.”
This three-pronged statement, centered on student success, begins with a call for a new definition for the phrase “student success.” Philosophers have debated for centuries about what it is to be an educated person. I am not convinced we can agree on what it is to be successfully educated, but we must individually have some vision in mind if we are to be able to determine whether we have hit the mark.
Most Americans, I believe, would define student success as the ability of a student to support himself or herself in this society after completing the educational process. Our value and belief systems are strongly based on economics and accumulation of material wealth. How often do you hear parents say, “I don’t want my children to have to come home to live with me after completing their education”?
It’s difficult to argue with the fact that the ability to support oneself economically is a goal of the educational process, but it is not the only goal. If it were, we would not need schools; we could easily achieve success by matching students with professional mentors and letting them learn on the job.
What additional definitions could we use for student success? I would like to suggest a few, and I am interested in what you would add. Student success, I believe, means the ability to
- understand the rights and responsibilities that allow us to function as contributing members of our democracy.
- cooperate and collaborate with others in work, social, and family settings.
- make independent decisions based on reasoning supported by facts gathered and analyzed by students.
- relate in a positive and constructive manner with family members and other members of the world community.
- take responsibility for one’s own actions and act supportively and compassionately toward others.
Maybe, though, it would be easier to list things that should not be included in our definition of student success. It is not a sign of student success to
- score highly on an arbitrarily chosen standardized test.
- help beat a rival football, basketball, or wrestling team into submission.
- have every student specialize in science, technology, engineering, or math in order to beat the Chinese in the economic realm.
- efficiently perform repetitive tasks in a factory setting.
How do you define student success? The form of our future educational system is dependent on how we answer this question. Please offer your suggestions.
Mathematics
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 31, 2008 - 02:20.
Student success does nit mean to achieve a good grade and good job. Man is a social animal. By success we mean, he should be able to play an effective in society as a part of his job or being a member of society.
I believe that successful
Submitted by Kalli (not verified) on November 26, 2007 - 17:53.
I believe that successful teaching and learning takes place when the teacher and the students solve problems together, share the same values while learning with one another, and develop a sense of confidence and courage as a group in order to seek and meet challenges. I value this belief because a teacher, in my eyes, can never learn too much, both from educational resources or from his or her students. I believe that successful teaching can take place when a teacher isn't afraid to take risks and is comfortable with what he or she knows. If a risk isn't taken how will the teacher know he or she is making an attempt to reach the children. When a teacher is eager to learn along with their students, they make learning and teaching a fun-filled experience, thus creating an educational partnership between the students and the educator. The teacher and the students encounter problems and develop feasible solutions to those problems. Although they may struggle during the process, with perseverance they can and will achieve success. Thus through time, as a partnership has developed and a joint effort is made from both the teaching aspects as well as the learning aspects success becomes a reality. For me, education is a means to success, and once education is received, success is obtained.. Therefore, if students are educated from teachers who share similar values as myself, we can all make a difference in the educational process. A student who learns the meaning of an education, learns the value of an educator and once the student is educated, the outcome is a positive one.
A Student's Success
Submitted by Carl M (not verified) on October 3, 2007 - 18:38.
The measuring of student success has been a political nightmare. With NCLB taking center stage in education today, students are inundated with a plethora of state exams that are to measure student mastery of subject material. Behind all the test taking strategies and standarized cirriculum, the true meaning of education has been lost. Not all students can or should go to college. Students learn at different levels and in different ways. Unrealistic and demanding pacing schedules don't help students they limit the opportunity for teachers to effectively challenge and excite students about subject matter.
I believe that student success can't be measured universally. Learning opportunities are not equitable. Affluent districts have an unfair advantage over larger urban districts. Special education and ESOL students can't be held accountable to the same standards as other students. Social skills are equally as important as academic skills. Senior projects in my district require interaction with people outside of our school. I believe a lack of social interaction is a major flaw in home schooling.
Student success
Submitted by kerri (not verified) on November 25, 2007 - 09:46.
I agree with you completely on your statement about measuring student achievement. It really has become a nightmare with NCLB. I also believe the true meaning of education has been lost. Students are no longer excited about learning. They are not given the time to explore subject areas and do meaningful, fun work. The pacing schedule is very unrealistic. Our state takes the MSA exam in the beginning of April. We must cram all of the material for the school year and have time for review and test prep by the time the exam rolls around. The students are miserable and tend to miss a lot of school because of this. My school is a Title 1 school and is a mostly ESOL population. Many of our students come to school without speaking any English. Yet they are held to the same standards and are expected to pass the test.
Students' success
Submitted by S.Walters (not verified) on November 27, 2007 - 11:53.
I agree completely with the statement that education has been lost since NCLB came into play. Children are not allow any more to explore and learn from their explorations. I feel that the children of today need time to creatively explore meaningful hands on opportunities. The children of today are completely different from children from 10-15 years ago. My state also do a state test in April.It seems that the administers are only interested in students passing the test. They put so much time in getting students prepared for the test, but not allowing them the opportunity to learn the information in order to pass the test.
I believe that a successful
Submitted by CH (not verified) on October 3, 2007 - 15:45.
I believe that a successful student is one who shows a sense of responsibility, creativity, and self-efficacy. It is not enough for a student to do well on a test and complete all of the classwork and homework. The student must show growth and take responsibility for any areas in the content that he doesn't understand. By this, I don't mean that the student is solely responsible for his learning but that he admits when he needs help or to redo an assignment. In my class, the students who I consider most successful are those that work the hardest and therefore feel the most successful when they do well.
I agree with you! I also
Submitted by Kalli (not verified) on November 26, 2007 - 13:25.
I agree with you! I also feel that the students who succeed are the ones who ask questions. These students aren't afraid to take risks. Just like we as teachers should take risks to experiment a variety of approaches or techniques, so should our students. They should feel comfortable enough and confident enough to redo an assignment to assist them in feeling successful. Great post!
Student Success
Submitted by Jen (not verified) on October 3, 2007 - 14:28.
Student success can not easily be defined. It is a constant progression. Once a goal has been achieved, a newer, higher, goal must be set. It is important that students learn to achieve on standardized tests. These tests are a fact of life - this may not always be the case but they are here now. Being able to write is crucial. So much of communication today is based in a system of writing. Most importantly, a student must be able to do more than regurgitate information. Learning to take in information and analyze it, break it apart, and reassemble it speaks volumes to me about success.
Student Success
Submitted by William (not verified) on October 3, 2007 - 04:58.
In my opinion, student success is determined by the overall accomplishments that a student makes in his/her educational career. That would include educational, social, and ethical behaviors. All of these areas must work together for a student to truely be successful. A student can excel in the classroom, but if they cannot apply it to the "real world" it doesn't matter. A student might be a social honey bee, but if a proper work ethic is not in place they are setting up for failure. Each and every student will progress and reach different levels within these categories; it is up to us as educators to facilitate the example and atmosphere for them to succeed.
student success
Submitted by Colbster (not verified) on October 2, 2007 - 17:26.
I agree that the future of education depends on how we answer this question. I teach fourth grade. I feel that my student’s success is two fold. I believe that that they need to be socially successful and academically successful. I feel that my students are both academically and socially successful when they are able to take responsibility for their actions and their learning. I also believe that it is imperative that they are also respectful of themselves, their peers, and adults. I believe that a fourth grader that is both respectful and responsible is successful. Every student has a different ceiling academically. I don't think that you can define success based on test scores. Student A may score in the 70th percentile on a standardized test and not be successful in my eyes if they are not perfuming to their potential. A student that struggles may score in the 20th percentile, but that may be the best they can do. To me that student is successful.
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