Q&A
Test scores show American students often lagging. Perhaps it's good that kids are driven.
[It's] not the motivation to do well. It's a motivation to gain recognition and accolades. One student wrote in her diary: "Do I want to be happy, or do I want to be successful?" The idea that those two things are mutually exclusive is not unusual.
Does their drive come from a lack of high-stakes pressure in other areas of their lives?
I did find similar pressures in other aspects of their lives. One of the students says, "Man, the pressure comes at you from every direction. My parents make me think that a B isn't good enough. Teachers make me feel that my homework could have been better. Competition in speech and debate makes me feel that if I didn't get first place I wasn't trying hard enough. Theater and choral make me think that my talent isn't great unless the audience thinks so. All of it is overpowering."
What can be done?
High schools should drop class rank because it encourages competition, cheating, and choosing classes based on GPA rather than genuine interest. Schools should limit how many Advanced Placement classes a student can take and increase awareness of too much stress. Colleges should boycott rankings. If schools didn't participate, it might de-emphasize the focus on rankings. And parents and kids should note: Don't discuss your test scores, college applications, or acceptances with anyone, don't take admissions decisions personally, and limit your extracurricular activities.
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