Academic Change, Reality or Illusion?

Do you think that Indio High School can improve its academic climate? And if it can, what will it take? Being idealistic, I say it can change somehow, but being realistic, I know that probably it will not change. Why? Well because of three simple things, motivation, stress, and second-language learners. Three things that pretty much will never change.

Motivation, I would say, is the most important problem. How can a student, like me, do well on tests, etc. when we have no motivation at all. I mean, most students are just like "whatever", and do not take tests seriously, that cannot help our academic climate, or can it? I think that if we get enough motivation, we could sure raise our academic climate. And not only that, I am sure we could overachieve and be above average schools.

The second barrier towards academic success here at Indio High School is a second-language learner. Being a second-language learner is not easy, trust me, I have experienced this during the last five years of my life. We have all this pressure on us to learn the English language in order to success in life. It is really hard at first when you do not understand anything of what is going on around you, and this is what affects our high school's academic climate. For example on tests, all this important tests like the CAT 6, the CAHSEE, etc. in which second-language learners do not understand a word of what the test is about, and this does not help our academic success at all. Our high school already has some programs that help second-language learners speak fluent English, but I think they do not do enough, why not put a little more effort in helping the second-language learners. I am certain that once the second-language learners speak fluent English, they will not only pass the tests, but will overachieve in them too.

The last barrier towards academic success I believe is, stress. Every time we have testing, the whole school is too dedicated towards testing. They give us so much pressure, that we feel like we are forced to pass the tests. I mean, they are so interested in receiving a high ranking, that they give us three long testing weeks; don't you think that that is a long time to be concentrated and focused in only one thing? Why can't it be at most two weeks? I am sure that if we test for less time, we will be focused all the way through testing and will most probably do well.

I believe that with the motivation,