Ramping Up Rigor

There has been a considerable amount of fervor concerning rigor within educational communities.

Educators have responded to the low ability and achievement of students in schools, ever since A Nation At Risk was released (NCEE, 1983). The report exposed problems such as dwindling career prep and vocational education programs, a low number of required hours of students in school, and textbooks used lack effective content.

Clearly, the report addressed a lack of rigor. Consequently, standards were adopted, benchmarks were set, and state boards of education implemented high-stakes tests.

A recent ACT’s report, called Rigor At Risk (2007), provided shocking information. Of the grade 11 students who took core courses and were tested in 2006, only 26% of those students met all four benchmarks: English, mathematics, social science, and natural science. 19% of these same students did not meet the benchmarks in any of these areas.

Research indicates educators must be careful how they respond to the reports gained from high-stakes tests.

“When high schools attempt to raise pass rates with skill-and-drill remedial routines geared narrowly to the test, conditions that nurture high levels of motivation and engagement are eliminated” (Grubb & Oakes, 2007).

Research by Brewster & Fager (2000) can be used to address motivation and engagement. They provided information on what needs to be done in classrooms and school districts. Their work includes allowing teachers to create student-centered learning opportunities, making students feel welcomed and supported, and developing a school climate that encourages creativity.

Grubb and Oakes’ (2007) work further invite educators to reinvent schools so that they no longer reflect the 19th Century model that exists all too commonly today. They suggest pathways for students to follow. Whether occupationally or non-occupationally theme-based, student interest can be bolstered as instruction becomes geared toward real-life problems and situations.

To enter into a mindset supportive of the research, one should reflect on Daggett’s Rigor and Relevance Framework (2006). This structure indicates learning should be geared toward students creating work that reflects real-world situations and open-ended problems. As explained by Armstrong (2007), this matches advances in cognitive psychology. Learning involving the creation of products is a great motivator and it addresses higher order thinking.

According to Muller and Chait (2006), rigor is, “…an educational experience that leads to a common outcome – that all students are well prepared for post-secondary education, career and civic life.” Muller and Chait also add that rigor is to include a high level content and instruction and an alignment of requirements with post-secondary education and work.

It appears to be apparent how rigor is to be increased. When approached within the context of real-world problems imbedded within school structures that support themes, rigor can be sustained and grown. Rigor is not an isolated variable that can be improved upon without also creating a sustaining habitat for it.

Resources
ACT (2007) Rigor At Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/rigor_report.pdf.

Armstrong, P. (2007) Bloom’s Taxonomy. Accessed online on December 25th, 2007 at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/theory/blooms.htm.

Brewster, C. & Fager, J. (2000) Increasing Student Engagement and Motivation: From Time-on-Task to Homework. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://www.nwrel.org/request/oct00/textonly.html.

Daggett, W. (2006) Rigor/Relevance Framework. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://www.daggett.com/rigor.shtml.

Grubb, W. & Oakes, J. (2007) ‘Restoring Value’ To The High School Diploma: The Rhetoric And Practice Of Higher Standards. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://epsl.asu.edu/epru/documents/EPSL-0710-242-EPRU.pdf.

Muller, R. & Chait, R. (2006) Defining Rigor in High School. Prepared for the National High School Alliance. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://www.hsalliance.org/_downloads/NNCO/RigorFrameworkTool.pdf.

National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983) A Nation At Risk. Accessed online on December 15th, 2007 at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html.