新世纪研究生英语Unit 14 High Stakes Are for Tomatoes.ppt

1、,Unit 14 High Stakes Are for Tomatoes,Peter Schrag,Interpretation of the title,1. High (wooden) posts -tomato-from falling down 2. a punhigh stakes examinations 3. standardized tests -not good,Main idea,For or Against Standardized Exams,Main ideas,American school reform has focused on two objectives

2、: stringent严格的academic standards and rigorous严厉的accountability责任，义务.,All students are required to pass the high stakes tests, the score of which will decide their graduation or their promotion in grade, and in some states even determine funding拨款 for individual schools and for teachers salaries.,Pen

3、alties for failure, however, have run into opposition from parents and teachers, and an anti-tests coalition has begun to form. Though the backlash激烈反应may get stronger, more people support the reform with tough tests.,Group discussion :Advantages of exams:,Tests encourage students to work harder, an

4、d help them to see what they have learned and what they havent. And they also help teachers to judge the effect of their teaching.,Disadvantages of exams:,The tests may mislead teachers into test-driven teaching and students into test-oriented learning, which may stifle innovation in the end. Having

5、 too many tests overstresses the students and does harm to their health.,Introduction,With education rising to the top of the national agenda, American school reform has focused on two related objectives: more stringent academic standards and increasingly rigorous accountability for both students an

6、d schools.,In state after state, legislatures, governors, and state boards, supported by business leaders, have imposed tougher requirements on students and have, at the same time, held teachers accountable for students performance on tests. All students are required to pass the high stakes tests, t

7、he score of which will decide their graduation or their promotion in grade. In some states funding for individual schools and for teachers and principals salaries depends on how well students do on tests.,The statewide testing of students, however, with penalties for failure, has run into opposition

8、 from parents and teachers. Though politicians and business leaders in general strongly support higher standards and greater accountability, students, teachers and some of the parents have begun to fight against the tests.,In Massachusetts some 300 students boycotted the MCAS tests, while in Wiscons

9、in middle-class parents pressed the legislature to stop funding the exit examination in 2000. In Ohio some groups of parents and activists are circulating petitions to amend or repeal 废除the states testing laws.,The backlash, touching virtually every state that has instituted high-stakes testing, ari

10、ses from several kinds of complaints: that the focus on testing and obsessive test preparation is killing creativity; that the tests are unfair to poor and minority students; that the tests overstress young children, or that they are too long or too tough or simply not good enough.,Though some of th

11、e backlash comes from conservatives, many more of the protesters are educational liberals, who believe that children should be free to discover things for themselves and they should not be stifled by tests.,The anti-testing backlash seems to work together. For example, in early 1999 some 600 test cr

12、itics attended a national conference on high-stakes testing at Columbia Universitys Teachers College, to discuss effects, alternatives, and strategies.,The boycotting students are among the most articulate critics of the tests. Beyond doubt the movement is a long way from achieving critical mass bec

13、ause the boycotts are still small, and polls continue to show that 72 percent of Americans and 79 percent of parents support tougher academic standards.,However, people are still worried that if more students fail the backlash will be stronger, which might endanger the whole system. According to the

14、 author the way forward is to provide more than one standard for graduation.,Background Information,1. About American Education In the United States, individual states are responsible for providing education and, in the delegation of power, states may tend toward either centralization or decentraliz

15、ation. Most state school boards disburse支付 funds, certify证明- 合格 teachers, recommend curricula, and supervise the building and maintenance of schools. Actual administration, however, is usually carried out by local school boards. Members of these boards usually are elected officials who carry out the

16、 wishes of the community in formulating policy.,In his state of the union message to Congress on Jan. 23, 1996, former U.S. President Clinton recommended that states and local districts adopt national standards to assess students academic progress. He also supported the right of parents to choose th

17、e public school of their choice, encouraged the organization of charter schools, and emphasized the need for values and character education.,A National Educational Summit, the second such conference held in the U.S., met in March 1996, in Palisades. N.Y. attended by leaders in business, government,

18、and education and focused on U.S. students academic deficiencies, particularly in mathematics and science, in comparison with students from other industrialized countries. Calling for improved academic achievement, the summit recommended that states and local districts establish specific standards f

19、or basic academic subjects, especially in English, science, and mathematics.,Addressing the summit，President Clinton called for assessment of academic competency 资格, 能力 through standardized state competency testing in basic academic subjects. Critics of the summit, deciding its focus was too narrow,

20、 contended主张 it should have considered broader issues, including school choice. Critics also alleged that comparisons of U.S. students academic achievement with those of other countries rested on invalid criteria.,In fact, one of the loudest outcries 大声疾呼 against high-stakes tests differential 关于或显出

21、差别的 effects on minority students was a lawsuit 诉讼 ( filed in Texas against the states graduation tests, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). In January 2000, a U.S. District Court ruled that the TAAS did not violate Black and Latino students constitutional rights in spite of documented ne

22、gative effects on graduation rates.,The new education bill is expected to require public schools to administer管理 annual student performance tests. How do Americans feel about the idea of mandatory强制的 standardized tests? The results of Galiup surveys conducted on August 2, 2001 showed that the public

23、 has, by large percentages, backed the use of standardized national achievement testing for measuring both student academic progress and for grade promotion, including high school graduation. Here are the results of a question asked in a Galiup poll earlier in 2001.,Should public school students be

24、required to pass a standardized test in order to be promoted to the next grade, or not?,A recent question on the same topic included in a CBS News/New York Times survey, conducted in June 2001, found similar results. The question read, Do you favor or oppose mandatory testing of students in public s

25、chools each year as a way to determine how well the school is doing educating students? Seventy-four percent said they favored it. while just 23% said they were opposed.,The 2001 Phi. Delta Kappa/GalIup survey, The Publics Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, showed that Americans gave the public sc

26、hools in their communities the highest ratings in the 30-year history of this annual poll. For the first time, a majority (51%) of the American public assigned an A or B grade to their local schools. In 2000, the comparable figure was 47%. More than eight in 10 (81%) awarded these schools at least a

27、 C also a record high. In addition, 62% of parents of students in the local public schools assigned either an A or B to these schools, the highest number since 1974 and five points higher than in 2000.,Peter Schrag is former editorial page editor of The Sacramento Bee and longtime columnist on Ameri

28、can politics and education. His articles, which address a wide range of issues related to societal trends, education, and politics, have appeared in publications such as The American Prospect, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New Republic. He is the author of many books, including Paradise Lost: Califo

29、rnias Experience, Americas Future (New Press, 1998), and Final Test:,Language Points,1. High Stakes Are for Tomatoes (title): High (wooden) posts are good to support tomato plants from falling down. But here high stakes is a pun and also refers to high stakes examinations. It can mean that the stand

30、ardized tests cause a lot of failures and they are not good for students.,2. . education has risen to the top of the national agenda . (Para. I): . education has become the most important thing in the country . agenda: a list or program of things to be done or considered Examples: There were several

31、 important items on the agenda. Thats been on my agenda for three weeks and I still havent done it.,3. rigorous (Para. I): careful, thorough, and exact; very severe or strict Examples: She has a scientifically rigorous approach. Its a rigorous survival course in the mountains.,4. accountability (Par

32、a. I): responsibility; obligation Examples: There were furious demands for greater police accountability. Both public schools and private schools receive taxpayers dollars, yet the private schools get to play by different rules and avoid public accountability.,5. accreditation (Para. 2): official ap

33、proval for a person or organization; official recognition of meeting a standard Examples: The college was given full accreditation in 1965. She has had her accreditation withdrawn by the authorities.,6. backlash (Para. 3): a strong but usually delayed reaction against recent events, esp. against pol

34、itical or social developments Examples: White backlash increases as the pressure for change in South Africa mounts. The rise in violent crimes provoked a backlash against the liberal gun-control laws.,7. boycott (Para. 4): act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expressi

35、on of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion Examples: The people who work there are on strike to boycott a biotechnology conference. The committee decided to boycott all products tested on animals.,8. Be a hero, take a zero. (Para. 4): Show your courage and protest by deliberately failing th

36、e tests. 9. the exit examination (Para. 5): the test which students take to decide if they will graduate according to their scores exit: leaving; graduating,10. assess (Para. 5): determine the value, significance, or extent of; appraise Examples: The annual income of school teachers in this place wa

37、s assessed at $ 900. It is still early and difficult to assess the effect on the country which just acceded to the WTO last December.,11. inspire (Para. 6): stimulate to action; motivate Examples: A sales force was inspired by the prospect of a bonus. In conclusion, I hope this success will inspire

38、you to greater efforts.,12. circulate (Para. 7): cause to move about or be distributed; spread Examples: Some students volunteered to circulate these fliers for the BIO 2000 conference. Gossip tends to circulate quickly.,13. amend (Para. 7): alter (a legislative measure, etc.) formally by adding, de

39、leting, or rephrasing; change for better Examples: The legislators are working hard to amend the earlier proposal so as to make it more comprehensive. The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.,Review,1. high stakes run into penalty spectrum,Two objectives,1. stringent academic standards ri

40、gorous accountability Top of agenda 2. deny a diploma hold back 3. backlash,States- tests- ways of protests,1. Massachusetts MCAS boycott 2. Wiscosin exit examination a compromise,3. Virginia SLA revisson 4. Ohio OPT petition,5. New York R E Calling for re-examination,14. repeal (Para. 7): withdraw

41、(a law, etc.) officially; make no longer a law Examples: It is high time that this grossly unfair law was repealed. Some of the religious leaders in our city are organizing a campaign to repeal the abortion law. 15. arise from (Para. 9): come from; be caused by Examples: We should go on to discuss t

42、he matters arising from the last meeting. Soon after the doctor arrived in the tribe, he found that the most of the diseases in the area arose from malnutrition.,16. obsessive (Para. 9): excessive in degree or nature Examples: She was overwhelmed with an obsessive need to win, so she could hardly co

43、mpromise in her life. Maggie wont dine out with us as she is becoming obsessive about hygiene.,17. a bleeding-heart liberal (Para. 10): a person showing pity or concern for poor people, or criminals in a way that you think is not practical or helpful Example: Our granny is a bleeding-heart liberal;

44、she dare not even kill a fish. 18. have no business (Para. 10 ): have no right or reason; behave wrongly Examples: Youve no business being here; this is private property. He was very drunk and had no business driving.,19. constrain (Para. 11 ): keep within close bounds; confine; restrain Examples: H

45、is life was constrained by his habit of keeping to the same few activities and friends. Cold weather constrained the plants growth. 20. rote (Para. II): arrived at by routine or habit rather than by careful thought; learned or memorized mechanically, usu. with little understanding Example: The compa

46、ny sought nothing more than rote agreement.,21. stifle (Para. II): prevent sth. from happening or developing; stop someone from breathing or being able to breathe comfortably Examples: He threw a blanket over the burning frying pan to stifle the flames. He was almost stifled by the fumes.,22. open-e

47、nded (Para. II): without a fixed ending time; not having rules that limit or restrict anything Examples: Take it easy, this interview will be fairly open-ended in format. Finally both parties only reached an open-ended settlement,23. prolific (Para. II): very productive; producing abundant works or

48、results Examples: Her performance enabled her to develop a prolific recording career. He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.,24. travesty (Para. II): sth. which fails to represent the values and qualities that it is intended to represent, in a way that is shocking or offensi

49、ve; an absurd example or representation Examples: His account of my essay was a travesty. The trial was virtually a travesty of justice.,25. cohere (Para. 12): stick or hold together in a mass that resists separation; cause to form a united, orderly, and aesthetically consistent whole Examples: With

50、out sound reasoning, no argument will cohere. The critic said the much-hyped movie was not well received because it failed to cohere as a whole.,26. litigation (Para. 12): the process of taking claims to a court of law; lawsuit Examples: Both sides agreed to the settlement to avoid the expense of li

51、tigation. It was not unusual for the bank to be involved in litigation over failed companies.,27. . to show up the public schools and thus set the stage for vouchers. (Para. 12): . to reveal the deficiencies in public schools and therefore get prepared for the implementation of a school voucher syst

52、em. show up: make it possible to see or notice something that was not clear before; reveal Examples: The sunlight showed up the cracks in the wall. These riots show up the deficiencies in police training.,set the stage for: prepare for sth. or make sth. possible Examples: The presidents recent death

53、 set the stage for a military coup. The stage would seem to be set for a potentially explosive confrontation.,voucher: a piece of paper that is a record of money paid or one that can be used to pay for particular goods or services Examples: a travel voucher a luncheon voucher就餐券，饭票,28. endorse (Para

54、. 12): give approval of or support to, especially by public statement Examples: The application was endorsed by the governors board. I fully endorse everything the Chairperson has said.,for that matter (Para. 12): used to say that what you are saying about one thing is also true about something else

55、 Examples: Scott never touches beer or any kind of alcohol for that matter. Education is bound up with the future of our youth, and the future of the country as a whole for that matter.,30. prominent (Para. 14): widely known or important Examples: The government should play a prominent role in prote

56、cting the environment. The recent fraud scandal involved and discredited a number of the countrys most prominent politicians.,32. profess (Para. 14): make a pretense of; pretend; affirm openly Examples: He professes to despise everything that is closely related to money and fame. She professed ignor

57、ance of the whole affair, though I am not sure I believe her. 33. scrap (Para. 14): throw away as worthless; decide not to use a plan or system because it is impractical Examples: The navys biggest aircraft carrier is being scrapped this year. Weve decided to scrap the whole idea of renting a car.,F

58、inal Examination,1。 Vocabulary 30 20 multiple choices 10 filling blanks Textbooks,2. reading comprehension 40 points 4 passages,3. translation E-C 15points 3 parts Textbook,4. writing 15points Textbook 8 topics,Para15,Problems from the tests Pass rate and Standards Accreditation,Is a school granted

59、a accreditation if many students pass the examination?,1. test obsession 2. unravel 3. accompany ing 4. be subject to 5. foster,Unravel解开,阐明,解释,破坏(计划、安排等),1.My knitting has unraveled. 我编织的东西散开了。 2.The unity agreement began to unravel. 使得这份联合声明开始出现破裂。 3.Police are trying to unravel the reason of their sudden disappearance. 警察正在试图解释他们突然消失的原因。 4.There is still a good deal to unravel. 还有不少问题要澄清。,be subject to,服从 How can you subject her will to your own? 你怎么可以要她服从你的意愿呢?,以 . 为条件 The offer isnt subject to prior sale. 本报盘以货物未售出为条件。 The abo