New System for the Public Schools Evaluation in Alaska - Pros and Cons

Recently, the government in Alaska developed a system for evaluating public schools. The system is called "System for School Success." While the Ministry of education believes that this system is going to improve the quality of education in the state, there have been mixed opinions about how these rules affect the Alaska education system. Keep in mind that there are many advantages attached to this new system, but this doesn't mean there are no disadvantages. With the new accountability rating system, schools will be given scores based on the performance of students. This performance will be measured through standardized test scores, rate of graduation, third-grade literacy, academic growth, etc.

Pros Of the New System Of Vetting Education In Alaska

• The new system is part of the efforts by the Ministry of education in Alaska to implement the new agenda by the United States; "Every Student Succeeds Act." It is more flexible than the previous Act; "No Child Left Behind."
• The new system of accountability is inclusive as the parents, educators, community members, and school administrators all played a role in crafting the "Every Student Succeeds Act." That ensures that the needs of every student are put into consideration when it comes to teaching and other things related to education. It also makes it different from what other states offer.
• When a school is poorly rated after the evaluation, it is entitled to tapping into additional funding provided by the state. That is unlike other programs that cut off funding when schools are not meeting up to set requirements. So far, 107 schools within the state have been flagged because of their poor performance and low rate of graduation. These schools will be able to access additional funding to improve the quality of their education and increase the rate of graduation.
• The state receives federal funds. The "Every Student Succeeds Act" was initiated in the year 2015 but the "System for School Success" has been in the pipeline for the last two years in compliance with the "Every Student Succeeds Act." Since it receives funds from the federal government, it is going to be sustainable.

Cons Of New System for Any Alaskan University

• At the initial stage of the implementation, some schools had to cut staff salary to focus on developing other aspects of the system. These cuts were discouraging to teachers who had to pursue their economic interests and dive into the private sector. Some others left the state entirely to look for greener pastures.
• There have been major criticisms of using standardized tests to determine the ability of students. For starters, it may be a misinterpretation of a students ability. Apart from this, there is a chance that the quality of teaching will diminish as teachers will focus on getting students to pass the test. That is because their jobs and the future of their schools are based on the scores from these standardized tests.

The new system for public school evaluation in Alaska may have some disadvantages, but it would be unfair to ignore the advantages. The overall goal is to improve the quality of education for students in Alaska from high school to college.