Monday, May 24, 2010

Allow Me to Gripe a Moment

There are many things that bug me about high stakes standardized tests, but I guess the main thing is how reductive they are. Every thing we do and every student we teach is reduced to a number, and then people actually use that number to judge schools, teachers, and kids. If that doesn't seemed screwed up, then I don't know what does.

Let me give you an example. Today we administered the state reading test to our students. Among the small percentage of children who failed (yes, through the miracle of modern technology, we received their official scores less than hour after they finished the test) was a girl who was found eligible for special education this year on the basis of emotional disturbance. We know she can read, but the test pissed her off, and she refused to take her time and do her best.

What does her score prove to anyone?

1 comment:

  1. I don't see any easy answers to this testing business. I think all of us hate it, generally, because it takes away class time, teaching time.

    On the community college level, we now have to assess our students, besides grading all their papers and issuing them a final grade. Apparently, that's not "trusted." It's pathetic, I think. What does this prove? Who does it help?

    I once had a student in a class I subbed, who bubbled in the initials of her boyfriend throughout the test. I don't know about your student--the whole thing seems counter-productive to me.

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