High-Stakes Testing
The Friday's edition of The Times contained the story about the 9 Bossier students who will not participate in graduation because of their GEE test results. The online chatter about this was lively, and sometimes unmerciful, as it usually is about any controversial issue.
Much of the opinion seemed to point out, with pride, that nothing is wrong with not allowing these 9 to march with their class. After all, look how many students must have passed the test and surely the problem is with the 9 students and not the test. And of course, rules are rules.
My compassion lies squarely with the 9 who will miss a once in a lifetime event because of the TEST. And it would not matter if it were just 1 child who would not march for that sole reason and 99 passed. That 1 child is just as important as the 99.
Social scientist Donald T. Campbell once wrote, "The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor."{from an article by Eric Schaps in Education Week}
I suspect that one day the jury will render a failing score to high-stakes testing and local folks can get back to educating and move away from test prepping. However, it will clearly be too late for the 9 Bossier students and countless others across this nation who did not pass the TEST.
Much of the opinion seemed to point out, with pride, that nothing is wrong with not allowing these 9 to march with their class. After all, look how many students must have passed the test and surely the problem is with the 9 students and not the test. And of course, rules are rules.
My compassion lies squarely with the 9 who will miss a once in a lifetime event because of the TEST. And it would not matter if it were just 1 child who would not march for that sole reason and 99 passed. That 1 child is just as important as the 99.
Social scientist Donald T. Campbell once wrote, "The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor."{from an article by Eric Schaps in Education Week}
I suspect that one day the jury will render a failing score to high-stakes testing and local folks can get back to educating and move away from test prepping. However, it will clearly be too late for the 9 Bossier students and countless others across this nation who did not pass the TEST.
Labels: high-stakes testing
posted by Lieutenant Jackson at 12:47 AM
1 Comments:
LJ
I think it is you who fail the TEST. Until we recognize and reward those who pass the TEST, whether it be in school or in life, the more we give acceptance those who do not. Such gives support to the further dumbing down of America.
Education is food for the mind and we have to cut ourselves free from the theory that everyone will advance at the same rate just because everyone is fed the same diet. By your theory we feed everyone only at the rate the least capable can learn so that everyone can pass the TEST.
We make the 9 feel good but we lose many of the bright minds of all the others who passed the TEST. They no longer feel the challenge to do well and achieve greatness.
Soon, as a Nation, we will be the equal of the 3rd World nations where any education is rare and disease and corruption are rampant.
I suspect that your thoughts on this subject are indicative of the reasons why you are on the Times Editorial Board and mine are indicative of the reasons why I am not.
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