Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech Outline Better Education in the U S I Introduction A Attention Getter Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world Nelson Mandela Engage audience on the importance of B Relevancy to Audience My target audience for this presentation is both present day and future parents who care about the educational future of their C Thesis Statement The public education system in America is failing and something must be done in order to ensure the prosperity of future education children generations D Preview of Main Points My main points will be 1 discussing the current situation and the significance of change 2 Why the U S appears to be falling behind in education and 3 My plan to solve the problem E Transition I will start by giving you an overview the nations current situation II Main Point Significance A good education is without a doubt critical to the future success of a personal living in the United States and the present state of our public education systems fails to provide such an education for the majority of students A Description of the current situation and harms being done The cognitive skills of U S students have not shown improvement since 1970 s and in comparison of other nations we are slacking when in comes to education 1 According to a study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit the U S Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech Outline ranks 17 globally in overall cognitive ability Economist Intelligence Unit 2012 in math and reading by 2014 2 The No Child Left Behind NCLB Act of 2001 predicted 100 proficiency 3 According to the U S Department of Education 35 of 8 th grade students are proficient in math 32 in science and 34 in Reading US Department of Education 2012 B Explain why this is important who is affected overall impact Poor education has both a negative economic and social impact on the United States 1 Over the last several decades the industrial economy based on manufacturing has shifted to a service economy driven by information knowledge and innovation p21 2008 2 According to the Department of Labor statistics 86 of jobs in the United States are service based p21 2008 2 Poor schools and education systems can have a negative impact on the surrounding community Waiting for Superman 2010 3 The average high school graduation rate in the nations 50 largest cities was 53 compared to 73 in suburban areas Department of Education 2008 C Transition So now that you understand the problem you must understand the barriers that have prevented the necessary changes from being made III Main Point Inherency Barriers to Change Quality teaching is key to the success Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech Outline of students throughout their academic careers however present day policy in the U S can hinder a schools ability to employ and reward good teachers and punish or remove bad teachers A Explain why the situation has not changed One of the key inhibitors to the progression of students is the performance of their teachers 1 Tenure is a provision in a teacher s contract that guarantees their job for life after a particular period of time and makes it near impossible to fire them after they have been granted it Hanushek 2005 2 Tracking is a system of ranking a student throughout their time in school into different groups based on overall evaluated ability Levine 2011 2 Some students are pushed through the system and are significantly behind academically when they reach higher grade levels and eventually they just drop out Levine 2010 B Explain how these barriers can be removed or changed Employ a teacher reward based teacher evaluation system and hold all students to the same academic standards 1 Creating rewards for talented and effective teachers would raise teacher performance and provide incentives for successful people to join and remain in the teaching profession Hanushek 2005 2 KIPP charter schools were able to significantly boost student performance and sends 89 of its kids to 4 year colleges Waiting for Superman 2010 C Transition Next I will present to you my plan for removing these barriers in hopes of creating a better system for education in America Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech Outline IV Main Point Solvency Plan My plan is to ensure students are taught by the best teachers and are held to high standards of achievement from the beginning of their academic careers A Describe the solution you propose Implement policy changes to state schools that change the prevailing methods education in America 1 Developing an effective value added system that rewards good teachers and ensure that only the best are hired and allowed to teach 2 Eliminate tracking and holding all students to the same standards to prevent some from falling behind and increase their chances of success 3 Try to make learning a more fun and interesting activity for students 4 Make the process of obtaining tenure more rigorous 5 Increase the school day want to become teachers 6 Make the teaching profession more attractive so that great minds will B Describe the results of your plan The results of my plan will the improvement to the nation as a whole as a result of better education 1 75 proficiency in math reading and science by 2030 2 Lower crime rates and prison populations across the nation especially in inner city or low income areas investment in teacher education 3 A more attractive teaching profession in the United States with increased 4 Economic prosperity as a result of innovation and development in the Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech Outline United States 5 Kids around the nation loving to learn C Transition So now you all have heard my plan for education reform the next step is to demand that it be seen as a smarter alternative to the prevailing methods V Conclusion A Review of main points 1 The education system is failing and needs to be changed 2 the reasons for this failure and 3 the changes that can be made for the benefit of future generations B Restatement of thesis Change is essential to prevent any further harm caused to the children by the current state of Americas schooling system and plan should be considered a solution for this change C Ask your audience to take specific action You must stand up and demand this change for the sake of your children for the sake of future generations and for the sake of America Mason Greene Spring 2013 COMM212 Pitch Speech