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 		 Test for Educators

Attention all teachers, school administrators and board members, parents and grand-parents, college of education faculty, curriculum and staff developers, and textbook authors and publishers:

By the time our K-12 students walk across the stage in cap and gown to receive their diplomas, will they understand . . .

. . . that aging is a life-long process, not an end stage? Yes No
. . . that aging involves continuous growth and development as well as decline? Yes No
. . . that they have the potential for longer lives than any preceding generation? Yes No
. . . that the quality and length of their lives depends much on physical and mental health habits they develop now? Yes No
. . . that during their lives they will likely provide care to older family members, friends, and neighbors? Yes No
. . . that older adults make valuable contributions to family life, workplaces, and communities? Yes No
. . . that an aging society provides opportunities and challenges for people of all ages? Yes No

If we answer yes to all of these questions, then we are preparing our students for their futures in a changing country and world.  If we answer no, then we have more to do.

Excerpt from Couper, D. & Pratt, F., Teaching about Aging: Enriching Lives across the Life Span. National Retired Teachers and National Academy for Teaching and Learning about Aging, 1997.
 
Page last updated: 01 Jul 2005

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