AMERICAN

EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM
November 27th, 2017
 Key
characteristics
■ Private vs Public
■ The American educational
system is outdated and not
fully funded
■ My high school lacked
resources – We had textbooks
but not paper
Grimsley High school in Greensboro, North Carolina
Standardized testing
■ What is it? - Major tests at each grade level
■ Who started it? – President George Bush with the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
– Holding schools and teachers accountable,
meant to close the gap between minority and
non-minority schools
– Schools accomplishing good test scores
receive funding – But causes teachers to
“teach to the test”
■ It is less engaging and does not promote creativity
Testing to apply to college

■ SAT - Scholar Aptitude Test – Intelligence, problem solving skills, critical thinking
■ ACT – American College Testing – Sections include English, mathematics, reading,
science, and an optional writing section
■ AP – Advanced Placement classes with optional end-of-the-year tests to place out of
a college course.
– I took Human Geography, American History, World History, Statistics, Calculus,
Psychology, etc
College costs…… student debt
■ What are the costs?
– According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the
2016–2017 school year was $33,480 (28,056 E) at private colleges, $9,650
(8,086 E) for state residents at public colleges, and $24,930 (20,891 E) for
out-of-state residents attending public universities.
– x 4 years
– + $10,000 for room and board
– + $1,000 for textbooks
■ Scholarship and financial aid…. Or student debt
– You’ve probably heard the statistics: Americans owe over $1.45 trillion in
student loan debt, spread out among about 44 million borrowers. In fact, the
average Class of 2016 graduate has $37,172 in student loan debt, up six
percent from last year.
 BERNIE
SANDERS?
 HILARY
CLINTON?
Proficiency vs Growth debate

■ How should we analyze a student? By proficiency or by growth

■ Proficiency – To analyze a student by testing performance or meeting requirements
– Like reaching a third grade reading level, by reaching an achievement
■ Growth – To analyze a student by how much the student has improved or grown
Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Education for the United States – Her appointment was strongly resisted by
Democrats but she was confirmed by a 51 – 50 margin with Vice President, Mike Pence breaking
the tie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvXJnukCFoo
Comparison

■ What are some differences between Spain and USA?

■ How much does college cost?
■ Does everyone go to college?
■ Does Spain lean more towards evaluating students based on proficiency or growth?
■ How would you describe the behavior of Spanish students?