Rising to Greatness

As times are changing so are a lot of other things for Iowa, for example Iowa lost its number one spot in math and reading scores. The rural population is decreasing and communities are changing. This leads to a wider diversity of people as well as poverty on the increase. Iowa was once a power state when it came to schools achievements but it is going on the downward slope. Iowa is not preparing its students for the real world where they are having to compete with not only those from other states but also those from other countries. Iowa tests scores for fourth grade reading and eighth grade math are flat lining as well as slightly decreasing. This is allowing the nations average scores to catch up with Iowa's scores. It is not possible to start fresh but instead Iowa schools need to build from where they are increasing achievement scores and decreasing the gap.

"Graduates of Iowa schools compete not only with those from other states, but also with graduates from other nations" (Pennington & Chadwick). In this day and time getting a job out of college is not as easy as it once was. The competition is high and the economy does not help with the decrease in number of jobs. Iowa once was one of the top states for the achievement scores and was doing well in preparing their students for the real world jobs. Presently, Iowa's numbers are decreasing and are not preparing their students to the best of their abilities. Now that the competition is fierce and global for jobs Iowa must step up their game. Iowa must support the challenges that the higher education is giving them and higher their expectations, get high qualified educators, include technology, and have a fair and aligned assessment system.

As a soon to be graduate from Iowa I would like to know I graduated from a highly ranked school in the nation for academics, but as a future educator I hope to teach in Illinois. Illinois is where I got most of my education and from the maps in this article they are doing pretty well in scores. I will be student teaching in Iowa so I would like to give these students my very best in hopes to turn these scores around. I believe that change in Iowa is possible and they can take the number one spot again. We have to increase the scores not matter the diversity, poverty, or any change that might occur in Iowa. It starts with the plan thought out by a educated teacher and that teacher having high expectations for students that will make this a great turn around.