What is wrong with education now is that we are too focused on data and testing. Education has been based on lumping students together by academic ability but from a testing standpoint, not a true ability to learn in real-life situations. I have been teaching third grade for three years and it is drastically different from when I taught second grade. Once I got to third grade, the focus has been our standardized state LEAP test. Once the first half of the year is completed, administrators tell us that we should prepare for the state test. The pressure becomes too much for teachers and students, and the sole focus is passing the test so the school’s letter grade can increase.

Another issue I have observed in my district is they want each school and grade level to be at the same pacing across the board. While working at a Title I school, I have seen students have to overcome a variety of challenges in their home lives, so by the time they make it to school, they are not focused on learning. As a result, our students’ academic gaps are far wider than students that are not enrolled in Title I schools. If these students are missing their foundational skills, it can become detrimental to their academic careers as we continue piling on content that builds upon each other.