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Jamal Murchison
Linda Hofmann
ENGL-1102
March 31, 2014
This is one of the final revisions that I will make to the inquiry essay. After comments
from Ms. Hofmann, I went in to enhance some of the subjects in an effort to better the readers
understanding. I tried my best to make sure that no question, or one that could possibly arise,
was left unanswered. When you read this essay I want you to get a sense of freedom,
opportunity, change, and support. Those are just a few terms that add to the overall subject in
the inquiry. The writing process has been great. Every day I get more and more information
about tailored education. I am most satisfied with the interviews and peer reviews thus far. I
have had a great deal of help. I am currently working on adding comments from students who
attended a Big Picture School in U.S. Things in green are the revisions. A section is in gray
because I moved to enhance clarity. Things in red are my comments/explanation.
What are the benefits of tailored education?
Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you of your acceptance to a University
Somewhere. Almost every high school senior cannot wait to get a letter of acceptance into a
University. They have waited so long and worked so hard to get to that moment. Some go to
college on full scholarship while others are just happy to get in somewhere. Most seniors wait to
hear from their top four or five schools. After they receive the acceptance letter, and telling
everyone about it, they begin to plan based off a level of excitement. Thats not a bad thing to
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do; Im guilty of it also. I myself was one of the many to say, I cant wait to get to college. It
is one of the biggest moments for a high school senior.
College orientation finally arrives and the high school graduates are just bubbling with
excitement. This is where you get all the information you need. Some probably got a check-list
of what to bring. They spend whats left of the summer checking items off of the list. Once you
check everything off, you believe that you are now ready for the college experience. But what
exactly is the college experience? Mostly students believe that once they leave for college, they
are free. They are free to live and do as they please. The most important change that students can
think of is the change in the way they learn. In the past, they were stuck with doing the same
things every day because they were stuck in the traditional education system. Theyre education
in college is more tailored to their interests and potential/future careers. Are you or were you
really prepared for this big move?
Congratulations! You have been accepted to attend one of the forty-four Big Picture
schools in the United States. This situation is similar to the high school senior being accepted
into college. In this scenario, an eighth grader (who has just finished their middle school tenure)
was just accepted to a school with a tailored curriculum. Big Picture Learning is a new and
growing school where the curriculum is tailored to the student. The overall goal of the school is
to transform education within our inner cities first. Anyone can attend! The leaders at Big Picture
Learning really want the students that need the most help. (Introduction to BP) The lucky eighth
grader has just gained the opportunity that only about five thousand eighth graders get to
experience each year. In a tailored education system they are really being prepped for their
future. Students have a chance to get a little taste of some of the freedom they will experience in
college. In the tailored education system the focus is on the student and a more individualized
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curriculum. In a sense, its all about you. Students have the chance to tailor their classes to what
theyre interested in for the future. They have options and opportunities that you cant get in the
traditional education system. According to Gary Robertson, an advisor in the Big Picture
Learning school system, students have the opportunity to organize their own education plan
(Robertson 2014). TThere are no test, no homework, and no teachers . Standardized testing has
been thrown out of the window (Robertson 2014). I told Mr. Robertson that this had to be
every students dream school. Without any prior knowledge of the school system, one might get
the idea that students are just running wild. Robertson made sure that he reiterated that the
students are never alone in this education experience. Mr. Robertson stated this about his role as an
advisor, Im not a receptacle with information trying to impart it all on them. I am advising
them on the pathway that they should take toward learning. It is a much more effective
relationship (Robertson 2014).(Gives the reader more knowledge of BP) At a Big Picture school,
you have the support and help of your advisor, mentor, and your parents. All of the people listed
are concerned about you. In most public high schools, students rarely have any interaction with a
guidance counselor or an advisor. Guidance from people that care is available at a young and
fertile age. This an opportunity most students have never heard of and most will never hear of.
Just think of your experience after eighth grade. I was just happy to be going to high school. The
transition to high school is a big transition to say the least. That moment is similar to the
transition from high school to college without the individualized learning. Were you prepared for
that big move?
In The Problem: The Failure of Traditional Education, an article written by a group of
researchers, they explain that in the United States a student drops out of high school every twelve
seconds (Bromley, Bare, & Garcia). As of March 2014, over one million students have dropped
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out during the 2013-2014 school year. Maybe interaction with that counselor could have changed
things. The article also explains the consequences of dropping out of high school. The article
states that high school drop outs are less likely to own a home and they will have higher rates of
health problems. (Bromley, Bare, & Garcia) How many high school drop outs were aware of
the lifelong consequences that they would face (Bromley, Bare, & Garcia)? Without any of the
help like a Big Picture school can offer, most drop outs would not have known about the
consequences. High school is a pivotal point when it comes to education. I like to think that
high school is the beginning foundation if a student is interested in attending an institution of
higher learning. All levels of education are essential, but high school is the most critical. This is
when you start planning your future. Along with attending classes and playing sports, you are
asked to make decisions that will affect the rest of your life. The Big Picture Learning school
system provides their students with support that will allow student to make the right decisions
along with becoming more responsible. Was there any help or support available for you?
Paul Houston wrote in his book, No Challenge Left Behind, that he doesnt believe that
there is anything wrong with the traditional education system (Houston 2008). Houston is an
expert in the field of education, so it seems likely that he would be aware of the biggest problems
that the traditional education system and its students face. Around the same time No Challenge
Left Behind was published, Bromley, Bare, and Garcia had just written The Problem: The
Failure of Traditional Education. That article reveals the alarming high school dropout rates.
Maybe Dr. Houston wasnt aware of this research.
The traditional education system has been around forever, so there is or was a formula
within the system that worked. Yet as Houston explains, the demands of the world are constantly
changing; subsequently, the way we operate within our schools has to change (Houston 2008).
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Houston isnt stating that the demands of the world expose a problem in traditional education,
but he explains that it has to grow as the worlds needs grow. (He was a bit confusing at times
but he never stated a problem in tradition education) There have been changes to the curriculum
since the turn of the century but you have to question whether the changes were in the interest of
the student or just an effort to keep up with a global education competition. In a conversation I
had with Jeremy Batchelor, my former high school principal, I found out that some principals
actually push students through just to receive a high graduation rate percentage (Batchelor 2014).
That only hurts our students. The Big Picture school system as a whole has a graduation rate of
ninety-two percent (Bromley, Bare, & Garcia). (Added the citation and made my point more
clear) My high schools graduation rate was only at seventy-seven percent. What are the two
school systems doing differently?
I had the opportunity to tailor my courses for the last two years of my high school tenure.
I had the chance to pick courses that I thought would be beneficial to me and my future as a
student seeking high education. Along with tailoring my own education, I worked in my
guidance office as a peer counselor. Working in guidance gave me the opportunity to learn about
the different courses that were available and beneficial. As a peer counselor I also had direct
access to the other academic advisors or counselors. At the time Jeremy Batchelor, stated earlier
as former principal, was aware of this situation. When I interview Mr. Batchelor, I asked him
the question: Why did you allow me to deviate from the standard curriculum (Batchelor
2014)? He answered, I could never put any limitations on how a student is willing and able to
learn. As a father, I wouldnt my children to be in the same situation and get disappointed
because no one else had that same vision (Batchelor 2014). (This adds to my personal
experience and allows me to add the interview)
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Just think back. What made you prepared for college? Every student that attends a
college got there on a different path. "The Big Picture: Schools Tailored to Students Individual
Needs, an article published in USA Today, explains that Big Picture students are accepted into
college one hundred percent of the time (USA Today 2004). Most of the students that apply to a
Big Picture school are not in the position to receive a high school diploma, so in the beginning
college really wasnt on the minds of those students. With the right support, a change from
tradition, and a little freedom, students are able to succeed in the tailored curriculum that the Big
Picture schools offer. Just keep in mind that anyone can be accepted by a big picture school.
Every student in the country will not make it to college. Congratulations, you made it. Its often
that we associate not going to college with a students work ethic, but is that always the
underlying reason? No. Every student doesnt learn the same, so in an effort to meet their needs
there has to be a change in how you approach each individually. There has to be a change in how
we meet the needs of the students individually.


Works Cited
"The Big Picture: Schools Tailored to Students Individual Needs - See More At:
Http://www.bigpicture.org/2004/11/the-big-picture-schools-tailored-to-students-individual-
needs." USA Today 24 Nov. 2004: n. pag. Web.
Batchelor, Jeremy - Personal Interview 2014
Bromley, David, Christine Bare, Edward Garcia, and Anne Saporito. "The Problem: The Failure
of Traditional Education." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
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Houston, Paul D. No Challenge Left Behind: Transforming American Education through Heart
and Soul. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2008. Print.
Robertson, Gary Phone Interview 2014