Abusing Rigor and Subtle Inequities

In todays world, the word "rigor" has taken on a connotation on all of its own. We throw the word around as if it some old socks in our drawer that we simply do not know what to do with. Unfortunately, what could be defined as a word that can add to the discussion around how student instruction can inform how we teach, it is now all about this idea that rigor has simply one connotation: students seating neatly in rows, with a 1200 pound text book in front, pen or pencil in hand, quietly answering one question after another, while the teacher sits in the front of the classroom. Not only does this theory paint a picture of what is wrong with education, it also implies, in a very subtle way, that the reason why under-resourced students are not performing at the level of their suburban counterparts is simply a cultural defiency, rather than a lack in the system itself. What arises from these ideals of lack of rigor, is really stating to the educational world as a whole that there simply needs to be more "structure" in the classroom and that rote memorization of skills, rather than a full, in-depth exploration of subjects and content, are the way to close the achievement gap. In one study alone, both German and Chinese textbooks cover nearly 1/2 as much content as their United States counterparts do, but exceed standardized tests scores by leaps and bounds. By suggesting that students learn less, but more in-depth while in school would be a huge paradigm shift for traditional educators, many of whom still believe that schools should be ran akin to a factory, where 55 minute classrooms, with 30-35 students, crammed with facts and knowledge used exclusively to show spikes in standardized tests are still valid and are creating learners for the 21st Century. To the contrary, in fact, this is having a polarizing effect on students, further isolating them from the world that needs them so desperately to shape an ever changing globalized, techno-driven society. The skills that are enforced in the "rigorous" benchmarks and standards are a starting point, but nevertheless, do our students an injustice in the larger context of preparing kids for the challenges of tomorrow. So if we are to discuss rigor than lets have a discussion about how such standard needs to be personalized, uniquely adapted to particular content and circumstances that common with differientated instruction. No one said that such approach would be easy. But by looking carefully and examining the social, political and economic constructs that our students have about the world, and how a world shapes our young people, we can more carefully examine on how a rigorous education has more to do with bringing about bring change to a world that desperately needs thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers just as much as it needs students who are ready to matriculate to college and post-secondary institutions.