What standardized tests don't measure | Nikki Adeli | TEDxPhiladelphia

Summary

Deke Adelie, a junior at the Science Leadership Academy, shares his journey from Iran to Mississippi and finally to Philadelphia. He reflects on the limitations of standardized testing and its impact on students' potential, contrasting it with his experiences in South Korea and Iran. Deke emphasizes the importance of real-world learning opportunities, like those at SLA, which foster creativity and community involvement. He calls for a shift in educational focus from test scores to practical skills and experiences, urging adults to support and believe in the potential of today's youth.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker's parents emigrated from Iran to America for better educational opportunities.
• 🏫 Growing up in Starkville, Mississippi, the speaker found a lack of distractions but also a lack of critical thinking in schools.
• 🐸 A 6th-grade frog dissection unit sparked the speaker's curiosity about the meaning of learning beyond memorization.
• 🧠 The speaker questioned the impact of geographic disadvantages on educational potential and competitiveness.
• 💼 The concept of competition on a national level was highlighted through the example of a high-earning teacher in South Korea.
• 📚 The Iranian education system was described as highly focused on testing for university admission.
• 🌐 The speaker's experiences in Iran showed that extracurricular activities were not valued for college applications.
• 💸 Budget cuts in Philadelphia targeted arts, music, and after-school clubs, emphasizing the importance of testing.
• 🏛️ SLA (Science Leadership Academy) was chosen for its focus on student responsibility and choice in learning.
• 👨‍💼 The speaker is developing software through an internship at Penn Medicine to improve hospital outpatient processes.
• 📈 As a Philadelphia Youth Commissioner, the speaker is creating a resolution to mandate real-world learning opportunities for high school students.

Q & A

What was the main reason Deke Adelie's parents emigrated from Iran?

Deke Adelie's parents emigrated from Iran during the Iran-Iraq war because they couldn't pursue their college education due to the university either being subpar or closed.

Why did Deke Adelie's parents choose to move to America?

They chose America because they believed it would provide an opportunity for their future children to have a quality public education that would prepare them for their careers.

What was Deke Adelie's experience with education in Starkville, Mississippi?

Deke Adelie experienced a lack of distractions and focused mainly on school and soccer. However, they questioned the quality of education and the emphasis on memorization over critical thinking.

How did Deke Adelie's experience with dissecting a frog in 6th grade influence their thoughts on education?

It led Deke to question the meaning of learning, as they were taught to memorize vocabulary and parts of the frog rather than understanding the subject matter deeply.

What is Deke Adelie's view on the potential of students in geographically disadvantaged areas?

Deke Adelie believes that being geographically disadvantaged should not limit a student's potential to be competitive on a national level.

What is the concept of competition that Deke Adelie discusses in relation to education?

Deke Adelie discusses the concept of competition on a national level, comparing the education systems and the emphasis on testing in countries like South Korea and Iran.

Why do students in South Korea and Iran focus heavily on testing?

In South Korea and Iran, doing well on tests is crucial for success and higher education opportunities, which is why students are taught from a young age to excel in test-taking.

What was Deke Adelie's experience with the education system in Iran?

Deke Adelie observed that Iranian high school students' education is catered to a major declared in 9th grade, and their fourth year is dedicated to preparing for a University exam.

What is Deke Adelie's opinion on the current focus on testing in American education?

Deke Adelie believes that the focus on testing in American education is misguided and does not foster the development of well-rounded citizens or future leaders.

How does Deke Adelie feel about the potential of teenagers to make a change in the world?

Deke Adelie feels that teenagers are capable of making significant changes and wants to ensure they have the opportunities and support to do so.

What is the main takeaway from Deke Adelie's TED Talk?

The main takeaway is the importance of believing in the potential of teenagers, providing them with real-world experiences and opportunities, and preparing them to be leaders both now and in the future.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Journey to America and Education

Deke Adelie shares the story of his parents' immigration from Iran to America during the Iran-Iraq war. They sought a better education for their future children. Settling in Starkville, Mississippi, Deke's upbringing was simple with limited distractions, focusing on school and soccer. He laments the lack of critical thinking opportunities in his Mississippi education, despite being in a 'mentally gifted' class. This class was exclusive and focused on memorization rather than understanding, which sparked Deke's curiosity about the potential of students in small towns and led him to explore the concept of competition on a national level.

05:01

📚 The Pressure of Testing in Education

Deke discusses the emphasis on testing in education systems, particularly in South Korea and Iran, where students are groomed from a young age to excel in exams that dictate their future success. He contrasts this with his experience in Mississippi and Philadelphia, noting the budget cuts that led to a focus on testing over arts and extracurricular activities. Deke questions the purpose of schools, advocating for the development of well-rounded citizens rather than just test-takers. He criticizes the current educational funding models that tie financial support to test performance, suggesting this approach does not align with the goal of fostering creativity and individuality.

10:02

🏫 The Impact of SLA on Personal Growth

Deke shares his positive experience at the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) in Philadelphia, which emphasizes student responsibility for learning and offers choices. SLA provides opportunities for students to engage with their community through internships and volunteer work, which Deke believes are crucial for real-world application of learning. He discusses his own project developing software to streamline hospital outpatient processes and highlights similar initiatives by his peers, emphasizing the importance of these experiences in fostering a sense of making a difference in the world.

15:03

🌐 Advocating for Real-World Learning

Deke, as a Philadelphia youth commissioner, is working towards creating a resolution that mandates internships and real-world learning opportunities for high school students across the city. He believes these experiences are essential for preparing students for the future and enabling them to become active members of their communities. Deke calls for adults and community leaders to believe in the potential of teenagers, setting high expectations while providing support and mentorship. He concludes with a call to action, urging the audience to invest in the present by supporting teenagers in taking on leadership roles today, which will naturally shape a better future.

Keywords

💡Education

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values, often occurring in a structured setting like a school or university. In the video, education is a central theme, with the speaker reflecting on their own educational journey and the broader context of education systems. The narrative discusses how education can vary greatly by location, impacting opportunities for critical thinking and personal development.

💡Geographically Disadvantaged

Geographically disadvantaged refers to individuals or communities that face limitations due to their location, often lacking access to resources or opportunities that others might have. The speaker uses this term to describe their experience in Mississippi, suggesting that despite the challenges, it's possible to excel and compete on a national level, thus questioning the notion that geographic location should limit potential.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves analyzing information objectively to form judgments. The speaker expresses a desire to learn how to critically think, which they see as a missing component in their early education. The video suggests that fostering critical thinking skills is essential for preparing students for future careers and for contributing to society.

💡Competition

Competition in the context of the video refers to the rivalry between countries in terms of education and economic success. The speaker contrasts the American education system with that of South Korea, where high test scores are highly valued. The concept of competition is used to explore different educational priorities and what it means to prepare students for success in a global context.

💡Iran-Iraq War

The Iran-Iraq War was a conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from 1980 to 1988. The speaker's parents were in college during this time in Iran, and the war's disruption led them to emigrate to the United States. This historical event is pivotal to the speaker's personal narrative, illustrating the broader impacts of geopolitical events on individual lives and educational opportunities.

💡Mississippi

Mississippi is a state in the southern United States where the speaker grew up. It's depicted as a place with limited distractions and a focus on school and sports. The speaker's experience in Mississippi contrasts with their later experiences in Philadelphia, highlighting the diversity of American educational experiences and the importance of place in shaping one's opportunities.

💡Standardized Testing

Standardized testing refers to assessments that are administered and scored in a consistent manner. The speaker critiques the overemphasis on standardized testing, arguing that it can stifle creativity and innovation. The video suggests that while tests can measure certain skills, they may not capture the full potential or abilities of students.

💡Self-Worth

Self-worth is an individual's sense of personal value or self-esteem. The speaker mentions that 44 percent of students don't feel a sense of self-worth, implying a connection between educational practices and students' self-perception. This keyword underscores the importance of fostering a positive sense of self in students as part of their educational experience.

💡Funding

Funding, in the context of the video, refers to financial support for educational programs and initiatives. The speaker discusses how funding is often tied to test performance, suggesting a systemic issue where the focus on testing can overshadow other important aspects of education, such as arts and music.

💡Science Leadership Academy (SLA)

The Science Leadership Academy (SLA) is a school in Philadelphia that the speaker attends. SLA is highlighted as a place that fosters responsibility for one's own learning and provides choices, which contrasts with the more rigid educational systems discussed elsewhere in the video. The school's approach to education is presented as more holistic and better suited to preparing students for real-world challenges.

💡Internships

Internships are practical work experiences, often for students or recent graduates, that provide on-the-job training in a particular field. The speaker discusses an internship program at SLA that allows students to engage with their community and gain real-world experience. This keyword is central to the speaker's argument for the value of practical, hands-on learning experiences over a sole focus on academic testing.

Highlights

Deke Adelie's parents emigrated from Iran to America for better educational opportunities.

They chose Starkville, Mississippi, for its quality public education and community.

Deke highlights the lack of distractions in Starkville, focusing on school and soccer.

Mississippi's education system lacked opportunities for critical thinking.

Deke's 6th-grade experience with dissection sparked a curiosity about learning.

The realization that geographical disadvantage shouldn't limit potential.

The concept of competition on a national level and its impact on education.

Comparison of educational systems in South Korea and Iran.

Students in Iran see Deke as lucky due to the extracurricular activities valued in America.

Philadelphia's budget cuts targeted arts and music, emphasizing the importance of testing.

The purpose of schools should be to grow citizens, not just test takers.

44 percent of students don't feel a sense of self-worth due to the focus on testing.

Governmental programs often link funding to test performance.

Deke's move to Philadelphia and the choice of Science Leadership Academy (SLA).

SLA's approach to education focuses on responsibility, choice, and self-development.

SLA's program allows students to engage with the community through internships and volunteer work.

Deke's work with Penn Medicine to develop software for outpatient processes.

The importance of belief and time in allowing teenagers to make a mark.

Deke's role as a Philadelphia Youth Commissioner aiming to create opportunities for high school students.

A call to action for adults and communities to believe in the potential of teenagers.

The idea of making students the present leaders, not just the future leaders.

Transcripts

so my name is deke Adelie I'm a junior

at the science Leadership Academy and

today I want to start my story by where

it actually started it started in the

80s in Iran and it was during the Iran

versus Iraq war where my parents were

pursuing their college education and

during the time of the war they couldn't

pursue it because either the university

that they were going to was up to par or

the university they were going to was

closed so they took it upon themselves

that they had to emigrate from Iran and

the reason why they emigrated to America

was because they knew that if when they

had started a family this would be an

opportunity for their kids to have a

quality public education that were

prepared them for their career down the

line so they picked America and out of

all 50 states and out of all 19,000 355

cities they picked a small town in

Mississippi in that town was Starkville

home to the Mississippi State University

Bulldogs and once the bulldog always a

bulldog and I must urge how small

Starkville really why's there wasn't

really a mall I mean the mall that I

considered was a Walmart Supercenter and

there weren't many distractions as a

child the really only things I focused

on was school and soccer and you would

think that if there aren't many

distractions that there would be a

quality schools in this town and as much

as I love Mississippi this is where I

learned to ride my bike where I learned

to fall off my bike and where I grew up

and I whenever someone asks me where are

you from I always say I'm from

Mississippi but the one thing that I

questioned that I didn't have the

opportunity to have in Mississippi was

the ability to critically think and I

know that there was classes like

mentally gifted classes except all of my

peers didn't have the opportunity to be

in that class with me because you had to

go through a test that said you were

mentally

gifted so you were in this exclusive

class and even in this class we were

taught to critically think through

snafus puzzles and 24 math games and as

fun as those were and the incentive to

do well was you got a Hershey kiss or a

jolly rancher at the end I mean I did

well because I like candy but I really

wanted to learn how to critically think

in the subjects that someday down the

line I would end up pursuing like math

like science and like reading and the

first encounter that I came across this

was in the 6th grade

so in the 6th grade we did a whole unit

on the Frog and my teacher said at the

beginning of the quarter is that if I

wanted to dissect a frog I had to die I

had to go through a test and I knew that

I had to do well in this test because

every day when I went home from school I

always saw on TV that people like

hillary duff were dissecting frogs so i

had to dissect a frog and I asked my

teacher what the skills were to do well

on this test and she got down on my

level and she asked and she told me and

she cringed really big and said you need

to memorize vocabulary words and you

need to memorize the parts of the frog

and at this moment I came across a

question of what did it really mean to

learn because neither of the two times

that she had brought it up said he to

learn about the frog you need to learn

the vocabulary words and it was exactly

this that took me on to this adventure

of what was the potential for kids in

these towns because they were said to be

geographically disadvantaged even though

you were geographically disadvantaged

did it really mean that you had to stop

the potential to go on and be

competitive on a national level if you

were geographically disadvantaged and it

didn't and it didn't make sense to me

and so I went out to seek out this

question and they came across the

concept of competition and this concept

of competition was on a national level

and many times you hear that I mean

America is very powerful as a country

but you always hear that we are

competing with other countries and it's

countries like South Korea for example

and that if we want to do well we need

to do something like people who are

second in education so this is kimchi

Kim Joon is an English teacher in South

Korea now what makes Kim Cahoon

different is that his salary is four

million dollars a year yeah you don't

hear an English teacher in America

getting four million dollars a year um

and what he does is that he runs a cram

school in Seoul South Korea and it

sounds exactly what it sounds like so he

does tests teachings to prepare kids to

do well on their University exam and

that's the bowl for kids in South Korea

because their way of becoming successful

into doing well in their country and to

possibly come to America is to do well

on this exam so that's their goal so

from a young age they're taught to do

well on tests in that tests matter and

that if they want to do something in

life they have to do well on these tests

another country that also is going in

that type of direction is Iran more

closer to home for me and for the past

two summers have had the opportunity to

go to Iran and to really observe the

education system in Iran and get to talk

to students and to give some background

on what the Iranian education system is

like specifically in high school is that

your first three years are catered to a

major that you declare in your ninth

grade year so whether that's math

whether that's biology social science

what have you and then your fourth year

is dedicated to do it while in the

University exam and what they do is that

they give you a multitude of tests to

make sure that you do well on that

University exam and when I got to talk

to all these kids who are where I was

teaching at one of the English schools

was that they kept calling me lucky they

kept saying Nicky show ma hailey ho

Shanxi which in English means you're

lucky and I stepped back and I asked him

I said well why do you think I'm lucky

and they said because the things like

volleyball that we do and playing the

violin that doesn't count towards what

we actually apply to when it comes to

applying to colleges because in Iran the

way you get accepted to a top university

is based on your national ranking on a

test and little did they know that

during the time that I was having this

conversation with them which was last

summer I didn't know that in

Philadelphia specifically there were

budget cuts budget cuts

quickly targeted arts and music and

after-school clubs and when I realized

as I said well if there are these types

of things that are being cut

universities and other outside programs

would have to focus on the test because

that's all that's left

and we as a country we don't focus on

creating a good test taker unless that's

what I think I mean the value in the

purpose of schools is to grow a citizen

and the citizen is to be a multitude of

personalities it's up someone to

open-minded knowledgeable and someone

who in the long run can give back to

their community however the way I see it

is that this is not the way we're going

because the majority of what we're

funding is to testing and to make sure

testing comes into play now which I'll

touch on later and what I what I want to

talk on is why I actually ended up doing

this TED talk so what I first heard the

theme of the new workshop of the world

the first thing I heard was workshop and

when I heard workshop I thought of a

birdhouse now the concept of a bird has

to me is that you build a birdhouse to

grow and to nurture and to hope that one

day those birds will make your birdhouse

their own home I see schools the same

way is to grow and to nurture these

young minds into the future leaders of

tomorrow and to grow them into citizens

however if we are as diverse as

Philadelphia is a nice diverse as a

country we are why are we putting kids

into standards to reach for them to then

fulfill any sort of potential they might

have and it's this that confuses me

because 44 percent of students in

schools right now don't even feel a

sense of self-worth and it's this that

we always applaud quirkiness and

individuality in this concept of

individualization that we aim for as a

country that you're allowed to think

outside of the box and you're allowed to

speak up in class but we never advocate

for it and specifically this so I talked

about funding and when it comes to

funding the first thing a talk on top of

my mind is governmental programs

and if you see here I've probably fine

print but I'll read it for you so one of

the parts of this back sheet says your

state can win this grant that will only

help students I'll compete workers

around the world but also to fulfill

their god-given potential so this is

saying if you do well on the tests we

will give you funding to then fulfill

this god-given potential so you would

assume that it would actually be the

other way around if God is giving you

this potential then thank you and then

later on you see that reforms actually

on the bottom of it says well this

actually helps you compete on a global

level it will help you out compete any

worker in this entire world and then

again this goes back to the concept of

what is our goal in the first place are

we trying to help compete any worker in

the world and is this the way to do it

is it to do it in a way that we suit

ourselves to a system that doesn't even

have the same goal as we're aiming for

and I like this quote by Benjamin

Franklin it's by failing to prepare

you're preparing to fail now I know that

the intent of these programs is we're

preparing you to do well in this world

but putting a scantron sheet in front of

me and putting a pencil in front of me

and saying that if this test defines who

you are that's only preparing me to do

well and tests in the long run multiple

times we hear policymakers and

politicians say we want our students to

do well so they can take over our spots

one day and to come up with policies to

improve our society and the global

economy however not even once our

students in class and in boardrooms

making decisions about their own

education so what makes you think

so what makes you think that now if

we're not making our own policies and

actually even giving our voice to create

these on policies that affect us

personally that it will happen in the

long run and it is that thing that

bothers me and it is certain things that

paralyze students is Minds in this

creative and innovative minds that come

from all over that paralyzed us and that

defines us and that thing is testing and

I don't want to say that tests are bad

because I'm not actually saying tests or

bad I'm saying the concept of what tests

have become is bad it's magnified it's

become a curriculum that our aim is to

do well on testing however the first

reason where we implemented tests is for

our students to do well in the world and

I list all these negative effects

however this types of these types of

things that tests have become actually

helped me get to Philadelphia so what

happened was was that in 2009 I came to

visit my sister for Christmas break and

during Christmas break my sister and I

are pretty evil I would say because we

tricked my mother to move me to

Philadelphia and my mom was like okay

fine it's important because when Nicki

was young her sister Liz went off to

college so they need to grow some sister

bond will stay for a semester you know

so what my sister and I ended up doing

is we found my mother a job and the

today became permanent and so time went

by and it came to the time of high

school so when I got the list of high

schools that I was accepted to the one

that stood out to me was SLA

science Leadership Academy and when

intrigued me about this school was that

it one not only made me responsible for

my own learning but it also gave me

choices and what made intrigued my mom

about this school was that this was the

reason why she had came to America in

the first place is that they didn't

abide by this system that the country

was going in but it created its own path

and that students would be able to form

different types of learning skills and

self-development to move in the

direction of where they wanted their

career to go and if it's anything that

SLA has really given to me it's two

things

particular it's time and belief and

specifically I want to talk about a

program that's in SLA so SLA has this

time allocated during the week for their

students in the 10th and 11th grade to

go anywhere in the city they'd like and

to interact with their community and

what you do is you form some sort of

internship or some sort of volunteer

work

I personally formed a partnership with

Penn medicine and with Penn medicine

what I do is right now I'm developing

the software that will ease the

outpatient process in hospitals to make

it a more faster and easier process for

this Pitt outpatients to get home easier

and to be back with their families and

I'm not the only one making dramatic

changes in their community so then

there's no me know me as a peer of mine

a close friend of mine as well and know

me works with the media mobilizing

project she's a student columnist and

specifically her column is in is part of

the movement that's pushing for

equitable public schools and then

there's win-win is part of the public

workshop and as a part of this team he

goes out to different parts of the city

and creates these new and awesome

different playgrounds some types like

benches and it's these types of things

that got him out his community and other

students as well to really interact with

their community and I know that as an

SLA student as a teenager in

Philadelphia I come from very diverse

city and I know I'm not the only one

that wants to make this type of change

as a teenager and I know the teenagers

want to find their mark I'm sure many of

you know how hard your teenage years

were because they were and I know

because I'm a teenager and the one thing

we want to know as one of the things we

want to know is that we're making some

sort of change and that we're making our

mark into this world and we want to be

prepared to make our mark in this world

and if you if you realize what know me

and I and and when have all done we've

done all these magnificent projects in

our community and none of it involved in

number two pencil or scantron

all it took was a little bit of belief

and a little bit of time and that's and

that's one of the two of the biggest

things that I have gotten from SLA that

I truly appreciate and I know that I

want to make this a bigger thing so as a

Philadelphia youth commissioner I have a

moving in a direction where I'm creating

a resolution and a resolution that will

help mandate these types of internships

and an opportunity for high schools

across the city to have the opportunity

to go into places like city it to city

banks and hospitals and cupcake shops

and what have you something that will

prepare them for the real world because

on my own I can't change a whole

curriculum so what I'm going to do is

then work with my resources and I'm

going to help create this real-world

application and I want other peers

across the city to have the same

opportunity as I have at SLA and is that

to apply what you learn in school to the

outside world because that is what grows

a citizen and that is what's going to

prepare us to be the future leaders of

tomorrow and I like this quote by

director Steve McQueen and it's school

was painful for him because so many

beautiful people didn't achieve what

they could achieve because no one

believed in them and I want this I want

this my entire talk to have some sort of

call to action and so as a city I'd like

to call this to action and as adults in

this room as many community leaders are

you as you all are and to anybody

watching as well is that I would love

for adults and communities to really

believe in this generation in

Philadelphia right now because it's a

matter of our belief that we know that

we can accomplish something and it's

that that I would love for people to set

high expectations for teenagers and sit

and set high standards but to help us

along the way because their teenage

years of the years we're going to fail

and the years we're going to make

mistakes but we need a mentor beside us

and many times as I've said today is

that many politicians and policy makers

and any adult has said we want our

students to be the future leaders of

tomorrow how about making them the

present leaders the leaders of today and

the only way you're going to do that is

by investing into the present

and if you are to invest into the

present I rest assure you the future

will take care of itself

thank you