The Disappearing Field Trip

By David Polochanin

Remember the adrenaline surge you had when you were told you’d be going on a field trip? That feeling seems to be happening less often for students these days.

In my home state of Connecticut, some school administrators report that field trips are virtually fading away. Among the reasons cited in a recent Hartford Courant article are a lack of funds for such extracurricular experiences, the high cost of fuel for transportation, and a hesitation to take groups of students into large cities and other public places.

But the reason that captured my attention and gave me pause was this: because the administrators feel pressured to have students perform better on standardized tests, and therefore can’t justify the time away from the classroom...