California Exit Exams Litigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

California Exit Exams Litigation - Essay Example A recent nationwide study by the Manhattan Institute revealed that only 32 percent of all American students leaving high school are college-ready. The picture is said to be bleaker for the so-called ELL (English Language Learner) students, which is 20 percent for African-American students and 16 percent for Hispanics. Among all the states, California has the highest population of such minority students, followed only by New York (Garcia, 1991), such that a big proportion of graduates from California's public high schools is unfit for college. To erase this blot in the state's educational landscape, the state legislature enacted the California High School Exit Exams (CAHSEE) in 1999, which was implemented on a voluntary basis in 2001 for the high school students scheduled to graduate in 2004. From that time until the exit exam was made mandatory in 2006 as a requirement for graduation of all public high school students, the program has been hounded by controversy. So far, two class ac tion suits have been filed against state authorities alleging that the exit exam is arbitrary and impracticable. This paper examines the effects of CAHSEE to see if there is really such a cause for action against the program and whether the changes set to be introduced in the rules as a consequence of the lawsuits can improve the situation. The California High School Exit Exam is one of many state-specific educational schemes given impetus by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was enacted by the national legislature in 2001 to reduce the dropout rates and narrow the perceived achievement gap among high school students all over the US. A priority concern of NCLB is the increasing number of special education students who lag behind in academic achievement because of physical and cultural handicaps. Students with physical disabilities and those with ethnic roots, that altogether comprise 35 percent of the public high school population in California (Greene & Winters, 2004), have the highest dropout rate and the lowest ranking in academic achievement and expectations because of poverty and lack of language skills. The NCLB mandated the adoption of testing schemes to ensure that the public school system benefits all students and non-performing public schools improve their instruction. CAHSEE was California's respons e to the measure, which has similarity in content to other schemes established in about half of the American states. There are a dozen other smaller programs, including the school choice initiative and the voucher-and-charter school scheme in which students are allowed to leave public schools for better performing private ones, with appropriate assistance (Forster, 2006). In all, the common goal is to forge a 100 percent passing rate for all public high school students so no one is deprived of the opportunity to pursue a college degree. The CAHSEE consists of two main sections: English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Under the ELA section, examinees are usually asked 72 multiple-choice questions and have to write a 2 and page essay. To obtain a passing grade in this section, the students must get 60 percent of the questions right. In the math section, which comprises 80 multiple-choice questions, the passing score is 55 percent. Sample questions in the ELA and math tests

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Music - Essay Example The music was an integral part of the everyday living needs within the region. This was combined with songs which have been recorded by those who have visited the tribes to note the forms taken. The meanings within the songs were noted by the daily activities as well as spiritual rituals and traditions which were able to express the lifestyle and the culture of the Yakima tribe and the association with the occurrences which were a part of the time frame. The unique concepts associated with the Yakima culture not only come from the attributes of the music played. The Washing State region is one which has unique attributes to the tribes, specifically because it is where the five nations began to meet and the tribes began to unite. This was also noted because the tribe was located at the point in which Washington naturally divided, leading to the nation being attributed as the people of the gap. The influences which occurred with the music were altered because of the position of the Native Americans in relation to others that were on the land as well as the association which this had with trading ideologies and creating music that was able to build a sense of peace between the nations. The main concept was one which led to music such as greeting songs which signified a known sound when meeting tribes and others passing through the region at different times. The type of music which was attributed to the Yakima culture also formed with both secular and sacred forms that were performed during ceremonies. An example of the secular music is known as the â€Å"Owl Dance.† This consists of drum beats and singing that lead the song. The men and women are able to recognize the Owl Dance by the initial drumming and singing, which leads to the formation of a circle. The men and women are then able to interact and chose partners, specifically which is identified with different parts of the dance as women and couples interchange while the music changes with beat and portions of the song. These attributes worked to combine the social culture with the dancing as well as the meaning within the music. Similar concepts were used with the secular, specifically in which the singing, drumming and other interactions were used to summon the spiritual nature of the tribes and the ideologies which were needed at the time. The basis of the Yakima culture with the secular and sacred music as well as the music used to intertwine cultures is one which is still practiced today. However, there are also changes from the Western influences and capacities which are available. Many are using the concepts of recording to improvise the songs used within the tribe and to alter the way in which the music has been approached. The music has been combined with new ideals that are used with the secular music as well as contemporary bands that continue to use the same instrumentation and sound while changing both the sacred and secular music. These alterations are creating different aspects to the music while building different ideologies that are associated with the main culture and the aspects of the music. While the evolution of the tribe continues to evolve, there is still the same sense of meaning with the sacred and secular music as well as the way in which the music is initiated for the tribes in the Washington area (Schuster, 1990). Women's M usic The concept of women’s music is one of the trends which continues to emerge in society and has created a distinct image outside of the regular scenes with music. In Western cultures and in classical forms, women were not recognized as composers and weren’t expected to study or build their own repertoire as professional musicians. The lack of information and the amount of suppression for women to be recognized as com