I did the same type of drafting as last time but with a new subject that I want to have in my paper. I just kind of typed every thought I had about this area as soon as I had it. It will seem random and crazy and everything, but I felt like I got a lot of my brain goo into a tangible draft and it will help me organize myself this weekend! I didn't get everything I wanted, but I am getting somewhere!
(Also, I think I spelled Weasley wrong like 8 times in here.... Please forgive me HP fanatics! I am only human!)
Exams in wizarding education occur every year for students
at the end of spring term. The only exceptions to this are the fifth and
seventh year students who are required to take the ministry given, standardized
tests that supposedly determine their future successes as witches and wizards:
the OWLs and NEWT testing. The grades in these tests determine the future of
the students as functioning members of the wizarding world.
In the British Wizarding world, there is a high emphasis on
going to school and getting a load of OWLs and NEWTs (quote Ron and/or Mrs.
Weasley from OoP). These grades are important for the future of the students.
The successes they experience at Hogwarts are regarded as irreplaceably
important to these young witches and wizards. However, despite the great
importance placed on education, there is no education or certification set in
place to become a teacher or educator. The students are encouraged to focus on
classes that best suit them and to take classes that will lead them to their
career goal. Harry wants to be an Auror, so he must take NEWT level potions and
defense against the dark arts. If Neville wants to be a Herbologist, he simply
must continue succeeding in Herbology. The career paths seem simple, but what
happens when ideas, goals, and intentions change? (maybe talk about the common
changing of majors during university years). Are the students stuck? In HBP,
Harry experiences extreme sadness when he realizes that, because of his Exceeds
Expectations in Potions, he will be unable to fulfill his dream of becoming an
auror (or a dark wizard hunter of sorts.). In his fifth year of school, Harry
is faced with the idea that, because of a grade, he cannot be the adult he
wants to be. How is that a healthy thought process for a fifteen year old
student?
The Weasley family is a great example of how the education
system does and doesn’t work for certain people. Percy Weasley aspired to be
respected (probably due to the constant disrespect he received from his
brothers, Fred and George). Percy managed to procure the spots of Prefect and
Head Boy while at Hogwarts, positions he felt ennobled him quite nicely. His
efforts in Hogwarts led to his internship of sorts with Barty Crouch and,
later, employment for the minister of magic. Percy worked hard, knew what he
wanted, and managed to acquire it because Hogwarts could support that career
path. Fred and George are, in some ways, very similar to Percy while not quite
fitting the mold that Hogwarts creates. Both Fred and George are obviously
extremely talented wizards, they managed to figure out and use an extremely
complicated map of Hogwarts when they were only eleven years old. They lived up
to their own expectations of becoming the school tricksters and were very proud
of it. They learned a lot, but didn’t see the glitter in excelling in exams.
So, they dropped out. Fred and George left Hogwarts, before finishing their
schooling, and set off to start their own careers. Fred and George managed to
become some of the most successful businessmen in London. In the midst of the
terror and unknown in the Deathly Hallows, when many businesses were closing
down, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes becomes a thriving joke shop. The twins’ prowess
for fun and magic, even in the midst of terror, gives them an edge. These drop
outs became far more successful than Percy.
Standardized testing in America is a controversial subject
within the educational system. While many feel it is essential to creating a
standard of education and giving students a bar to rise to, there is a vast
majority of people who nearly demonize it. (put in the research about
standardized testing in America. Look into Britain’s as well.) These tests
claim to accurately depict what students are capable of and their possible
prospects for success in the future. The Weasley twins took their OWLs, the
standardized test required for fifth year Hogwarts students, and did not do
well. Mrs. Weasley scolded them for their test scores (quote goblet of fire). They
only received seven passing grades between the two of them, meaning that one
twin passed three out of nine subjects and the other passed four out of nine
(HBP 103). Poor test scores in standardized testing mean that a student is
lacking skill or understanding in that particular subject. This gives the
student receiving the grades the thoughts that their worth or success is attached
to the grade they receive. To make matters worse, the grades the students
receive for standardized tests such as OWLs are filled with derogatory and
demeaning connotations. The passing grades are rather common place, with O for
Outstanding, E for Exceeds Expectations, and A for Acceptable. The failing
grades, however, can be quite shocking: P for Poor, D for Dreadful, and T for
Troll. These grades show the lack of empathy and respect the ministry of magic
(who puts forth these tests) have for the students. If a student were to receive
a T grade, the implication is that they are as thick as a troll, a drooling,
slow-moving creature that speaks only in grunts, and therefore their place in
society is far lower than the other students who received passing grades. In
HBP, Hermione, the top student in her year, was shaking in fits almost unable
to open the results of her test because of her anxiety. She knew that her
entire future rested upon her grades, her ability to go forward and pursue the
career path of her choice was resting on the results of her OWLs (HBP 101).
(insert the research on test anxiety and the effects of it).
The cancellation of exams in the Harry Potter series happens
several times. In the Chamber of Secrets, the end of year exams are cancelled
due to the recent ravaging of the school by an ancient and deadly Basilisk. In
the Goblet of Fire, Harry is exempt from the exams due to the trauma of
witnessing Cedric Diggory’s death and the return of Lord Voldemort. And, again,
in the Half Blood Prince, the cancellation of exams occurs after Dumbledore’s
death.
Umbridge....
With standardized testing and the common core standard in
the United States, there is a disconnect between classroom instruction and
testing. (show all the research for this shiz). Students simply aren’t learning
everything they need to in order to succeed. There is also a gap between the
different abilities and learning styles of the students. For example, Hermione
Granger and Neville Longbottom are expected to take the same test and reach the
same standard. Neville has, in all his years at Hogwarts, been behind on
curriculum and struggles to perform magic effectively. He excels at Herbology
because of a loving teacher and because he enjoys the subject. Hermione is a
natural student. She reads more than any other student in her year and stresses
over every subject. She excels in everything. These two very different students
will be taking the same test in their fifth year and are expected to be at the
same standard, even though Neville has been left behind in a lot of schooling.
There are many students who haven’t had the opportunities or encouragement that
other students have. Hermione’s parents encourage her to study hard and do well
in school. They expect that of her and believe that she is capable. Neville’s
parents are severely handicapped and he lives with his grandmother who is
constantly skeptical of his abilities and constantly comparing him to his much
braver, much more talented father. Obviously, both students come from different
backgrounds and are faced with different challenges. The question is how to
bring both students to the standard effectively and without doing more harm
than good.
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