by Grace Tener

What is standard English? In the minds of many students, this phrase probably creates visions of MLA headings, the absence of to-be verbs, and the rules of semicolon usage. But what exactly does this mean for the education system as a whole and how can we move away from the biased standardized process that plagues how we are conditioned beginning in our youth? The process for updating the academic climate in America is complex, however, I propose a three-step process, although not completely realistic, that demonstrates a method to provide a more inclusive standard in alignment with the ideals of new generations. By updating and regulating the standard testing system, particularly through altering the AP and SAT format tests currently presented by the College Board (1), creating a new addition to the public education curriculum where a course on various dialects and culture is included in graduation requirements (2) and improving the standard English rules that students follow (3) formulating a new approach to code-meshing in academics becomes a possibility.  

1. The introduction of standardized assessments began in the early 20th century with the entrance of the SAT and grew more heavily emphasized in the 1960s. Throughout their integration into the education system questions continued to arise about whether or not the examination process proved an efficient method of measuring intellect or instead revealed the discrepancies present between various individuals depending on the social background (Gerson). Research conducted by experts in the Annual Review of Sociology determined that the difference in test scores between students of different backgrounds had less to do with the intelligence level influenced by race or other genetic factors and instead proved examinations highlighted the privilege associated with students having access to academic resources. The arguments made by both Fish and Young do not seek to address the issues of standardized testing, their emphasis proves more focused on the topic of code-switching and the place of different dialects in the classroom. However, the standardization presence in education connects to this issue and testing contributes to this argument through enforcing the standard English rules that hinder the current education system’s ability to prove inclusive and in accordance with the evolving social structure. From personal experience, I had an admittedly skewed sample having attended predominantly private and religious institutes.                                                                   My academic exposure curriculum enlisted separate influences from that of typical public education systems. I am more focused on addressing the flaws within accessible education, as private institutes are harder to govern and demonstrate a majority of the academic advantages that skew testing results. I plan to emphasize more specifically the challenges within the public school system rather than compare it to private education.                                                         Having participated in taking the SAT during my college admissions process as well as the experience of EOGs in my youth, I understand to an extent how the content of standardized tests proves unfair to individuals of various backgrounds. Even in my encounters with education the skills necessary for success on the SAT do not align in any capacity with the curriculum I was used to. The format of the test questions specifically calls for the demonstration of knowledge on an array of topics not addressed within the classroom. The algebraic, geometric, and other math concepts prevalent on the test did not align with my particular math courses at the time of my taking the exam. The essay section as well proves subjective and separate from the typical format of narrative or book analysis compositions I was assigned in school. Several other factors contributed as well to my unpreparedness for the exam, and these disparities only significantly increase for students as you further delve into the various types of educational system shortcomings.                                                                                   Based on the current climate of society today, it is not plausible to eliminate completely a standard scale for which to measure student performance, however, it is possible to create an improved version that more accurately reflects the demographics of students today. The new test would account for different backgrounds and follow a more logical approach for questioning by addressing topics that prove beneficial towards student success. I would propose a basic math section that includes sections of lower-level statistics, percentages, and strengthening of other primary math skills. The reading comprehension portion would include a wider variety of styles of writing and the questions would be more aimed at determining a reader’s ability to access the content of a written piece then decipher it for grammatical discrepancies. The essay section as well if not completely eliminated would be altered to account for a student’s individual style and focus more on the ability to articulate an idea rather than follow a structural format. Simple changes to the examination process would vastly improve the gap in performance on standardized tests and make the overall process more accessible to all students.
2. Another approach to code-meshing within the American education system would be through the formulation of a “new English” course of study that exposes students to various dialects and introduces them to new ideas of academic works to familiarize them with the presence of contradicting methods of writing. This would be a challenging curriculum to incorporate into the current education system seeing as the graduation requirements vary on a state level, it would be hard to regulate a new kind of instruction on a national scale. The modules themselves would combine aspects of history as well as the already present literature courses in schools to explain how historical events shaped the way we understand English today. By outlining the history of the standard English scale and appreciating other methods of expression in schools, new generations would be able to determine for themselves a method of self-expression and combine the ability to implement personal ideas with the understood way of writing.                   I hope this type of preparation for students could potentially move away from the current emphasis on one way of demonstrating knowledge in the classroom. The lectures would match both Young and Fish’s ideas on code usage in the classroom as the standard English system would not be challenged within the course but instruction on varying dialects would allow for the possibility for changes to be made in the future where code-meshing becomes a reality for all students to comprehend.
3.  I mentioned previously that society relies on a standardized scale to govern all people and join us under a common understanding. However, the current standard English way of writing holds countless historical errors that make it no longer suitable for modern Americans. As outlined in the CCCC statement on White Language Supremacy, many present standardized systems within America remain inherently racist. The piece calls for the dismantling of WLS in favor of a new system that accounts for the perspective of BIPOC. The current approach to writing in the classroom caters to this WLS mindset and in recent years it has become more apparent that change is necessary to ensure inclusion for all students. Critical Language Awareness (CSL) proves one way in which social change can be implemented. The article’s main solution expressed a need to change current mindsets on written language. A key method in which it becomes possible for code-meshing to occur within education, efforts must be made beginning with the earliest stages of a child’s exposure to the language. It can be proven that children can retain language information easily and by changing the curriculum at the earliest stages of development the process of altering the biased system of writing to a modern version.                                                                The last way in which I believe that the flaws of the standard English language could be solved involves altercations at the earliest stages of learning. This would involve an almost entrance-level assessment of a child’s background. Similar to how immunization records are necessary for a child to attend school, I also believe an understanding of a young student’s intellectual development factors could allow for the education system to be able to possibly fit more clearly and address the needs of each individual child. By maintaining an idea of every person’s dialect and code background, the system could become less biased towards particular groups and strive to become suitable for all people to flourish within their educational environment. This idea matches with the ideas of Young and Fish as it allows for a standardization of education to exist but it changes the biased nature of the scale to fit all demographics and cultures of people and work with other social efforts to make American education more accessible to every student.

Works Cited

“Authentication Required.” College of Charleston Libraries Off-Campus Access, https://link-springer-com.nuncio.cofc.edu/chapter/10.1057/9781137486653_7. 

A Short History of Standardized Tests – JSTOR DAILY. https://daily.jstor.org/short-history-standardized-tests/.

“CCCC Statement on White Language Supremacy.” Conference on College Composition and Communication, 25 Aug. 2021, https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/white-language-supremacy. 

Should Writers Use They Own English – Texas A&M University. https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/english/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/01/Use-They-Own.pdf. 

“The New York Times Company.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Oct. 2013, https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/stanley-fish. 

“8 Ideas That Are Transforming America’s Education System.” Future Focused Education, 8 Aug. 2019, https://futurefocusededucation.org/2019/08/02/8-ideas-that-are-transforming-americas-education-system/.