In this article, there is a discussion about a school district in Arizona that uses very traditional styles of educating their students. The practices used are similar to what was used over 60 years ago. The results of this teaching style has been very positive. The curriculum is very structured and pushes the students be all be above grade level in multiple content areas.
There is controversy, in why it is working. The school does not even incorporate computer technology until the 6th grade. I feel it is successful do to high parent involvement and the high expectations of the students. Combine those two factors with the tightly structured curriculum, then you will apparently get positive results on standardized tests.
The article stated that the school's goal is to create independent learners. The students do not work in groups and the discipline strategy immediately calls out the individual student who is not following the rules. The question I have is, will this independent learning translate well into higher education? In many college courses, the student work cooperatively together in group projects. Being a member of a team is usually a critical component of employment in today's work force as well.
The teaching style that is implemented in the Arizona school is not for everyone, but that is why I feel it is a private school. Parents are required to sign up for classroom volunteer hours and pay a fee. The parents of the students are involved in the learning process and want their children to succeed.
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