[Vision2020] High-stakes testing...

[John Danahy]

I must say that I agree 100% with Don's comments, and would add from a
slightly different point of view.

The so called High Stakes Testing are called high stakes because of the
don't pass, don't graduate aspect for individual students.  Whether or
not an individual student graduates from public HS should not be the
result of a single or multiple exiting tests.  Instead, it is time to
forsake the deceptive impressions that have run rampant and realize that
these tests are designed to test school districts first, and teachers
second; on how well the basic curriculum is being delivered to students.

The tests are supposed to measure student acquisition of basic levels of
education.  A school district where only 40% of 4th graders are
proficient readers has a real problem.  The test and subsequent tests
are supposed to provide the district with the information needed to
address the problem, and to see if changes are successful.  Instead,
districts trumpet that their reading scores beat some national or state
average, and everybody should be grateful for the good job being done by
the district.  Meanwhile, those students who are not proficient continue
on, grade after grade, with more and more lacking the basic skills
needed to be successful in later grades, finally failing classes,
dropping out, and not graduating.  But still playing football!!!

Moreover, the information provided should also be used to address
teacher competency.  We all like to think teachers are educational
professionals, but unfortunately, not all are.  A teacher whose math
students fail basic testing, but who are passing the class, may be an
indication of a lack of competency.  How many more students will be
subjected to this class during that teacher's career?

I did get a chuckle from Don's descriptive "politically correct
'feel-gooders'," and I am amazed at how many are embedded in the public
education system.  The idea that it is wrong for a teacher to expect a
student to do a homework assignment and turn it in on time; but okay for
a student to fail the class and still play football, is an example of
how far the lack of accountability in public schools has come.  Why
should the student bother to do the work, or to hold themselves ready
and willing, when the system encourages them not to?  Certainly there
are damn fine teachers working in our public schools, but they are
hamstrung by a bureaucracy that fears accountability.

Teachers have been teaching to the test for as long as there have been
teachers, and as long as they have had tests. For more that thirty
years, the problems associated with the lack of curricular
accountability in public schools has been known and debated by society.
We have relied on the education professionals to solve the issue.  Now
we have turned to high stakes testing.  Perhaps the education profession
ought to take a good look in the mirror when trying to understand why?

John
jdanahy@turbonet.com


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